Love Fever
by Janara
Summary: HIATUS Harry Potter, the defeater of Voldemort, has taken mysteriously ill. Can the one that holds his heart save him? A HarryDraco story.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter, and I am not making any money writing this.

This is a Harry/Draco story, and it will be pure fluff. It is an AU since I do not acknowledge book six. When this story begins, the boys are in their seventh year.

Also, this story has not been Beta-read yet. If you find anything wrong, please tell me and I'll fix it. Although, you don't have to work _that_ hard on finding the errors, lol.

**Love Fever  
**by Janara

Harry walked into the Great Hall to grab some breakfast. He so did not want to be here, but, unfortunately, he didn't have much choice. _So what else is bloody new? Thank Merlin I only have a few more months left before I can kiss this rubble of stones good-bye!_ Harry thought morosely, sitting down next to Ron.

"There you are, I was beginning to think that you'd never come down here. Didn't you sleep well last night? Did you have another nightmare?" Hermione asked, only seconds away from turning into full mother-hen mode.

"Nah, I've just gotten used to sleeping in," Harry said easily, doing a fine job of hiding his resentment. And it wasn't as if he was lying. Christmas break had just ended, and Harry _had_ gotten used to keeping his own hours.

"Oh," Hermione said, deflating slightly when there was no emergency to deal with. "Well, I hope you will head to bed early from now on, the N.E.W.T.s are only months away. I can't believe that we are finally here. Voldemort is dead, and we actually lived to graduate!" she added, perking right back up again.

Those sitting around her nodded their heads in agreement. Life was indeed grand, and they all intended to live it to the fullest. Harry nodded along with the others, but he couldn't help glance over to the Slytherin table. Seeing a glimpse of blond hair and a laughing mouth caused his heart to clinch painfully. Suppressing a sigh Harry turned back to his breakfast and did his best to eat something, if only to avoid getting Hermione on his back again.

Who would have thought his life would come to this? He had finally killed off old Voldemort the previous Halloween, somehow bringing his life full circle. The battle had been vicious, but thankfully rather brief. Harry had used a combination of healing potions and spells to deadly effect, and Voldemort went bye bye never to come back.

For the first week it had felt wonderful not having to worry about that crazy coot anymore. Then he had gotten annoyed at the attention and the insistence that he attend parties launched by the Ministry and the members of the upper class, just so they could publicly show their support of the Boy Who Lived.

Then there was the demands for interviews, and _everyone_ wanted a blow by blow account of The Duel. Harry had endured the carousel for as long as he could, and then he had hexed the next imbecile approaching him. And the next. And the next. In the end, they learned to leave him alone, which in the mind of the press was even better, since they could now make up whatever idiocy they wanted and the masses ate it up.

Dumbledore, along with Harry's friends, disapproved of his actions of course, but Harry found that he didn't care. Instead he sat down one night and evaluated his life. For so long, the only thing he could focus on was the war and finding a way to do away with Voldemort. But now that he had done away with Riddle, now that he had brought piece back to the wizarding world, what was he to do now?

It wasn't a big shock to realise that he didn't want to become an Auror. He had fought all his life, why would he want to continue doing that? Especially since it meant taking orders from idiots like Fudge.

Harry was, however, a little surprised to realise that he didn't want to become a professional Quidditch player either. He loved flying, and he had always gotten a thrill from capturing the Snitch before anyone else, but to do that full time? To actually live for that moment? No, that life wasn't was for him.

It did, however, come as a shock to him when Harry realised that all he wanted was to settle down somewhere and just live peacefully and raise a family. All he truly wanted was the one thing that had been denied him all his life. Love. Love and a family.

It had been an even greater shock to realise just who he wanted to settle down with.

Because, without realising it, Harry Potter had fallen in love. With none other than Mr. Slytherin himself, Draco Malfoy. Malfoy who had somehow managed to stay away from Voldemort's clutches. Malfoy who had somehow managed to keep most of his Housemates away from Voldemort's clutches as well. Malfoy who would never as much as look at Harry Potter with anything other than scorn and disdain.

It had broken Harry's heart, but he had forged on the best he knew how, and now he was counting down the days to when he could leave Hogwarts and the wizarding world behind him. Oh, he wasn't about to live like a Muggle, far from it, but he wasn't about to be part of a world who had treated him so cruelly either. Not to mention that he would risk running into Malfoy if he stayed, or at the very least, run into his picture on the tabloids.

A burst of laughter returned Harry to the here and now, and he suppressed yet another sigh, ignoring with ease the painful lurch from his heart as he ruthlessly pushed all thoughts of Malfoy away from himself.

Then he started as a rain of balloons fell from the enchanted ceiling. As did everyone else in the Great Hall. Blinking his eyes Harry shook his head and pushed his half-eaten plate away. This had clearly been a bad idea. "I'll see you in Potions, Hermione, I want to ask Professor Snape something," Harry said getting to his feet. Hermione just waved him off, too busy listening to the no doubt sweet nothings Ron was whispering in her ear while presenting her with a few of the balloons.

Suppressing another sigh, Harry grabbed his book bag and left. He was happy the two of them had finally gotten their act together, but it only made the ache in his own heart harder to bear as he was constantly reminded of the things he could not have.

HPDM

The days trudge slowly by, and each day the school population was subjected to strange outbursts of magic. There were the balloons in the Great Hall. The Transfiguration class was swamped with yellow roses. The number had been so great that the students had to fight their way out of the class room, since the flowers refused to be vanished. Those students sitting in the front resembled what the heroes trying to rescue Sleeping Beauty must have looked like as they battled the wall of thorny bushes.

The next incident happened in Charms, when the rocks they were supposed to levitate turned into Hippogriffs. Professor Sprout was not happy when one of her greenhouses was filled with a large number of slugs, and Professor Snape was livid when his classroom was disrupted by a rain of firecrackers.

The students were gossiping, trying to figure out what it all meant, their theories growing more and more outrageous for each outburst of magic, while the teachers grew more and more grim. They hadn't wanted to believe it at first, but it was now clear that they had a bad case of Love Fever on their hands. They just could not pin point who the affected student was.

Not until on Saturday morning when Hermione, for once not buried in a book -- or preoccupied with her boyfriend -- took a good look at Harry and asked, "Are you alright? You look flushed, do you have a fever?"

Harry scoffed, though truth to tell, he felt dreadful. "Of course not, Hermione, why do you ask?"

"Because, like I said, you look flushed, and your eyes are too bright," Hermione scolded, leaning forward to feel Harry's forehead.

Harry batted the hand away, closing his eyes in despair with the knowledge that Draco would never ask him how he was feeling. Then he yelped, and his eyes shot open in shock. He had been hit in the head with a box of chocolates. A large, heart shaped box of chocolates. Furthermore, he wasn't the only one to be hit by the sudden rain of the things.

"Harry! You are burning up!" Hermione screeched, coming out of her stupor as Harry's temperature spiked.

Harry was unable to reply as he was too busy falling off his chair, having finally lost the fight to stay conscious.

HPDM

"Albus, we must _do_ something!"

"What would you have me do, Minerva? We've talked to all of his friends, and none of them are aware of Harry having any warm feelings for anyone."

"Warm feelings," McGonagall snorted. "The boy is heads over heels in love!"

"Mmmm, what happened?" Harry asked, not particularly happy with the fact that someone was arguing practically in his ear.

"Harry? How are you feeling, child?" Dumbledore asked gently.

"Tired. Hot. Want to sleep," Harry complained, curling up in a ball.

"I know, Harry, but you can't go to sleep just yet. We need to know who it is you have feelings for," Dumbledore said, reaching out and placing a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Why?" Harry asked petulantly, shaking the hand off.

"Mr. Potter, it might have escaped your notice, but you are ill. Desperately ill, and the only thing that will cure you is the one who you love," McGonagall said primly, as if they were discussing an aspect of Transfigurations.

"Doesn't matter," Harry mumbled, trying to go back to sleep.

"Why ever not?" McGonagall asked.

"Because they don't love me," Harry said with a longsuffering sigh.

"So you have already approached them? Who is it, Harry? Maybe if we were to talk to her," Albus said eagerly, trying to figure out who would turn Harry Potter down.

Harry snorted but didn't say anything. He'd be damned if he got the one his heart desired through coercion, or worse, because he pitied him.

"Potter, who is it you love?" Snape barked, hoping to cause him to blurt the answer out automatically.

Harry merely pulled the covers up over his head.

"Why you little!" Snape growled, reaching forward to yank the covers down. A shield of pure magic prevented him from even getting close to the bed, and he pulled his hand back, shaking it in an attempt to remove the stinging sensation.

"Alas, the fever has progressed further than I had thought. We only have a few days left to find the one holding Harry's heart, or he will die."

Snape sighed, pinching his nose, while McGonagall gasped, wringing her hands in despair. "But, how are we going to figure out who it is!"

"Harry has inadvertedly given us a few clues. We just need to put them together and try to figure out to whom they lead," Albus said with more cheer than he felt. Time was running out, and if they failed the saviour of the wizarding world would die.

HPDM

Draco Malfoy ambled through the corridors of Hogwarts, deep in thought. Ostensibly, he was a Prefect on patrol, looking for misbehaving children. However, he couldn't care less about any miscreants tonight.

Harry Potter lay in the hospital wing -- yet again! -- only this time he was dying. Who would have thought that the boy wonder would come down with Love Fever? Who would turn down the Boy Who Lived? The Golden Boy of Gryffindor? He hadn't believed his ears when Dumbledore had made the plea to the student body during lunch, after explaining the situation.

Harry Potter was in the last stage of Love Fever, and if his heart's desire didn't approach him soon, then he would die. How utterly ironic that the one thing that had kept the boy alive, was now slowly killing him.

Draco snorted, it would explain the mysterious bursts of magic though.

So, who was it?

Draco sighed softly to himself, too bad it wasn't him, or he would have been up in the hospital wing faster than you can say Avada Kedavra. He had no idea when he had fallen in love with the insufferable brat, but fallen in love he had. What wasn't there to love? His looks -- although the boy seriously needed someone to take him in hand! -- his wit, his charms, his... Draco didn't think there wasn't anything about the other boy that he didn't find adorable.

Draco sighed again, resolutely turning his thoughts away from that train of thought. Potter didn't love him and that was that. Draco had thought about wooing the boy now that the war was over and the hysteria had died down somewhat, unfortunately, he was too late.

The blond boy firmed his spine. Very well, if he couldn't have him, he would make damned sure that Harry got the one he loved. So... who was it? The balloons wasn't much of a clue other than it was a classic start of the manifestations of Love Fever.

Roses was also a classic symptom of the fever, but normally the roses were a deep red, a symbol of their love. But the roses that had filled the classroom had been yellow. Yellow roses... that meant friendship. Did this mean that Potter wanted to have his love's friendship as well as their love? Did this mean that the one Potter desired wasn't a friend? Draco reached up and rubbed a temple, this was harder than he'd thought.

Then came the blasted Hippogriffs! The blond teenager shuddered, he still could feel the terror as Hagrid's beast came bearing down on him. Reaching up he couldn't help but rub the arm that had been torn open. No, Hippogriffs would never be one of his favourite animals. Go figure that Potter loved them. He had looked good though, riding that thing. As if boy and beast had been one.

Draco sighed blissfully, lost in his memory for a moment.

Shaking his head, the teen trudged on. The one thing that truly puzzled him was the slugs. Who found slugs romantic? Something was tugging at the back of his mind, a forgotten memory trying to emerge, but for the life of him, Draco couldn't figure out what.

Then there were the fire crackers. Draco sniggered as he recalled the look on Severus' face when every last cauldron exploded. Draco had had some success with sabotaging the Gryff's work over the years, but _never_ had he managed to do things to such an extent. Besides, he wasn't about to sabotage his own brew, or that of his fellow House mates, he wasn't suicidal, thank you very much. Still, the look on the professor's face had been worth ending up drenched with the cold remedy they had been working on that day.

Chuckling softly, Draco turned his mind away from the dungeons and Snape. The last real clue had been the boxes of chocolate. They had been heavy too! Draco reached up and tenderly rubbed the spot on the top of his head where one of the blasted things had hit him. He had rescued as many of them as he could from Crabbe and Goyle's greedy hands, shrinking them and putting them in his bag. He was glad he'd done it too, since the chocolate had turned out to be absolutely delicious. The best treats he had ever tasted in his life...

Draco came to a sudden stop. Studies had proved that sweets produced by Love Fever tasted good to anyone eating them, but if they were eaten by the one who held the sick person's heart, they tasted extraordinary. And the boxes had been a deep green, tied with a silvery bow. _Not_ red as was custom.

Yellow roses, Hippogriffs, green boxes filled with exquisite chocolate... No, it couldn't be him. Could it? Draco staggered and was forced to lean against a handy wall to stay upright. Did this mean that Harry blasted Potter loved _him_?

His mind was reeling with this unexpected possibility, and then the elusive memory suddenly popped up. In second year, the fight with the Golden Trio, when Weasley had tried to hex him to spew up slugs. The hex had backfired -- and thank Merlin for that small mercy -- but it was another clue that firmly tied him to Potter's heart.

Pushing away from the wall, Draco took off running. If he was lucky, he just might get his heart's desire after all!

HPDM

Sneaking into the infirmary turned out to be ridiculously easy. Then again, Dumbledore probably hoped that Potter's love would try and sneak in to see if they were it. Along with what looked like half the bloody school!

Draco was extremely happy he had thought of spelling himself invisible. No way was he going to risk his reputation by being seen by anyone while he tried to figure out if Potter loved him or not. He wasn't some sentimental Hufflepuff who wore their heart on their sleeve. He was a Slytherin and damned proud of it too! Waiting for the group of fifth years to grow tired of being rejected by the barrier around Potter's bed, Draco leaned against the wall and watched.

It had been amusing at first, but soon it grew tedious. Didn't Ravenclaws know when to give up? And hadn't they researched the illness enough to know that no matter what you cast on the protective shield, it wouldn't go down until the patient was either dead, or joined by his true love.

Sighing in annoyance, Draco cast a few stinging hexes, grinning with delight as the fools yelped and hastily departed the area. Casting a few privacy screens and putting up several silencing charms, Draco approached the bed and just looked down at the boy resting in it.

Harry looked wonderful. His face was flushed with the fever, and his hair was tussled even more than usual. Come to think of it, Harry looked just like Draco had imagined he would after they had made wild, mad, and passionate love together.

Closing his eyes and doing his best to reign in on his raging libido, Draco approached the bed. Staring intently at the raven haired teen, he reached out a hand, bracing himself for the barrier to push him away. It never did.

Green eyes blinked open when Draco brushed the back of his fingers along Harry's cheekbone. "Hi," Draco whispered with a gentle smile, settling on the edge of the mattress.

"Angel," Harry whispered, closing his eyes again, the better to savour the feel of those cool fingers against his hot skin.

Draco's eyebrows shot up. Angel? Shaking his head, deciding it was the fever talking, the blond moved his hand up into the messy hair, revelling in the soft, silky feel of the black hair.

"Mmmm, knew you'd come. I never thought you'd look like him though," Harry said, sighing contentedly.

Draco frowned, pausing with his petting until a soft meowing sound from the other boy caused him to start it up again. "Harry... Who do you think I am?" Draco asked in the end.

"The angel of Death. Have you come to take me to my parents?" Harry asked, his eyes opening at half mast.

"I'm not Death, you moron!" Draco cried out in shock and anger. Just how sick _was_ Potter?

"Your not? But...?" Harry said, clearly bewildered.

Sighing deeply, this was apparently going to take some time, Draco toed off his boots and removed his robe. Climbing into the bed, Draco pulled Harry's unresisting body into his arms. "Now listen here, Potter. I don't know what delusional world you are currently residing in, but you are to come back to the real world and you are going to listen to me, got it?" Draco said sternly, waiting not so patiently for Potter to agree.

"I am no angel, love. I am Draco Malfoy, the boy who fell in love with you. And apparently, you have fallen in love with me as well. Aren't we fortunate? So snap out of this fever thing and get well so that I can snog you senseless, okay?"

"'Kay," Harry murmured, snuggling deeper into Draco's embrace and fell into a deep, peaceful slumber.

Draco snorted but made himself comfortable as well. There was no way in hell that he moved from this bed until Harry knew beyond doubt that Draco loved him.

HPDM

Harry slowly woke up. He didn't want to, considering the wonderful dream he'd had. He had dreamed that Draco Malfoy had climbed into bed with him, professing his love. Too bad that never would happen in the real world.

Sighing sadly, Harry opened his eyes, and started badly when he came face to face with none other than the boy of his dreams. "Draco?" he asked, hating the fact that his voice was trembling.

Draco blinked his eyes open, breaking into a soft smile when he noted that Harry was awake. "Hi there, love, feeling better?"

"Um, yeah, I do. But... But you... Oh, this is just another of those dreams," Harry said dejectedly, breaking Draco's heart.

"Harry, this is no dream. I am real. Feel my heart beating just for you," Draco said, taking Harry's hand and placing it above his heart. It was cheesy as hell, but he couldn't take his words back now. Besides, it was nothing but the truth.

Harry stared with wide eyes at Draco, happily drowning in the warm, silvery eyes. Then he shook himself and, reluctantly, pulled his hand away. "No. This isn't real .You don't love me. You can't love me. If Dumbledore of Snape put you up to this... I... Thank you, but I don't want your pity," Harry said, turning his head away.

He would have turned completely away if it wasn't for the fact that Draco was holding him tightly, and was not showing any inclination of letting him go anytime soon.

"Oh for Merlin's sake! I'm not pitying you, Potter! Snap out of your pity party and _feel_. I don't know what tripe the Headmaster has filled your head with, but Love Fever can't be broken unless _both_ persons love each other. Yes, you Gryffindor idiot, I love you, though Salazar alone knows why!" Draco huffed, all his intentions of being kind and loving flying out the window when met with Harry's stubbornness.

Harry whipped his head around to look at the Slytherin. "You really are here, aren't you? And you do love me?"

"Yes, Potter, I really do. If you washed your ears once in a while, maybe you would actually hear what people were saying to you."

Harry dropped his head down onto Draco's chest and began to snigger. "I always knew you were a romantic at heart, Draco Malfoy."

Draco considered taking offence, but Harry's giggles were far too contagious, and soon they were both laughing, sharing in the joy of finally being together.

HPDM

"So... You really love me?" Harry asked a while later, absentmindedly wondering why Pomfrey hadn't been by to bother them yet.

"Yes, I really and truly do."

"But... Why? I mean..." Harry broke off, frustrated at his inability to find the words he was looking for. "Look at you and then look at me. You are everything I am not. Cool, witty, snarky as hell, charming, good looking, wonderful... How can you love me?" Harry asked, staring down at Draco's chest, furiously blinking back the tears that were suddenly welling up in his eyes.

"Oh, Harry. It is I who should ask that very question of you," Draco sighed, pulling Harry closer, wanting to comfort the other teen.

Harry frowned, not understanding how Draco could even think that, and said as much.

"Harry, I know that you aren't stupid," Draco chided gently. "I am a Slytherin. Not to mention a Malfoy. All our years here at Hogwarts I've been nothing but cutting and cruel towards you, how can you...?"

"Oh, Draco. That is not who you are. Once I got my head out of my ass enough to truly _look_ at people, I quickly found out that the Draco Malfoy I thought I knew was nothing but a mask. I saw, Draco. Admittedly, it took me a while, but I saw how hard you and Professor Snape worked to keep the Slytherins away from Voldemort.

"It made me want to help you, and I tried to come up with ways to make your life easier. You didn't need the school on your back, not when you had enough burdens as it was."

"So that is why you opened up the DA for the entire school!" Draco exclaimed, finally having the answer to one of the questions that had been driving him crazy since sixth year.

Harry smiled shyly. "Yeah. Ron and Hermione thought I was insane, and then they figured it was to unite the school the way the Sorting Hat had been singing about. I never bothered to correct them." Harry shrugged. "The more I saw of you, the real you, the more I liked. But we were at war, so I buried my feelings and doubled my efforts in finding a way to finish off the bastard. I even volunteered to be nice to Severus Snape!" Harry said with a mock shudder.

"Is that why he asked me to land you in trouble every few weeks?" Draco asked suspiciously.

Harry chuckled and nodded his head. "No one knew that we were actually learning to get along. Not even Dumbledore."

"Humph! Well I certainly didn't know, and I'm his godson!" Draco said, pouting prettily.

"Anyway, that is how I came to fall in love with you," Harry said, abruptly returning to the subject at hand.

"And that is why I fell in love with you," Draco admitted, earning himself a startled look. "What? We were working our butts off in the DA. I saw you, Harry, I saw all that passion, all that compassion. I saw how you truly and deeply cared for the students in the DA, how could I not fall for you? But, like you said, we were at war. And then the world went crazy. I wanted things to become more normal before I..."

Harry watched with astonishment how the cool, collected Draco Malfoy broke into the most delicious blush. "Before you?" Harry prompted gently, reaching up to trail his fingers across the blond's cheekbones, much as Draco had done to Harry earlier.

"Before I tried to woo you," Draco admitted, daring to glance at the one who had stolen his heart.

"You were going to court me?" Harry asked, breaking into a delightful smile.

"Yes. I still plan to as a matter of fact," Draco admitted, regaining his composure when Harry wasn't laughing at him.

"But... I thought...?"

"That because we know that we love each other it was a done deal? In a way it is. Then again, the wooing, the courting procedure, is a way for two people to get to know each other, and I don't want us to miss that. Besides, I want the world to know that you are mine," Draco stated smugly.

Harry threw his head back and laughed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, which is a sad, sad thing.

Well, looks like this story will have a bit of angst in it after all. But don't worry, the fluff will still be there as well.

This story will not be updated as often as my Veela story, since I write on this one when I need a break from that one. Just keep looking, and new chapters will appear now and then.

Thank you, Jessica, for helping me with the grammar. Any mistakes left are my own.

* * *

"I wonder how come no one's been here and bothered us yet," Harry said some time later. He was laying against Draco's chest, the blond boy's arms wrapped securely around him, and Harry didn't think he had ever felt as happy and content as he did at this very moment. 

Draco lifted an eyebrow, taking in the truth of Harry's comment. Raising his head, Draco took in their surroundings. With a snigger he allowed his head to drop back onto the pillow. "I believe that is your doing, love. Remind me to always have you around whenever I get myself landed in here. That bubble thing you do really comes in handy."

"Bubble thing?" Harry asked, lifting his head to look around as well. With a sound between moan and a giggle, Harry allowed his head to plonk back down onto Draco's chest. The bed was indeed enveloped by a blue bubble and outside of it were several people waiting to be noticed.

Dumbledore wore a large grin, and his eyes twinkling at full force and next to him stood McGonagall, a look between happiness and disapproval on her face, her hands clasped together, resting under her chin. To the side, standing by himself, was Severus Snape, his arms folded across his chest and wearing a glower, yet there was a mischievous look in his eyes. Lastly there was Poppy Pomfrey who was not looking happy. Her fisted hands were resting on her hips, and she was tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for them to notice them and to bring the protective barrier down.

"Do I have to?" Harry asked, close to whining. "I don't mind seeing Severus, but the rest of them?"

Draco sniggered, not feeling particularly sympathetic since it wasn't him that was the patient this time. "Yes, love, you have to. But remember, the sooner Pomfrey is done, the sooner you can get out of here."

Harry brightened and looked back at the ones waiting. "Oh, very well," he sighed, making himself comfortable. Knowing the school nurse, this would likely take some time.

"Um, Harry, you might want to allow them inside," Draco said, laughter evident in his voice.

"But, I don't know how!" Harry protested. "I thought it was you who had done something to put that bubble up."

"Nope, not me," Draco said cheerfully. "How about you give them permission to enter?"

Harry gave Draco an incredible look. Then he shrugged and waved towards the bubble. "You may come in," he said regally, adding under his breath, "But I wish some of you wouldn't."

"Did you say something, Mr. Potter?" Pomfrey asked briskly, brandishing her wand towards the boys, gesturing impatiently for Draco to leave the bed.

Harry had other ideas and clamped his arms around Draco, refusing to allow him to budge.

"Mr. Potter!"

"No! I won't have you push me around the way you always do! Draco stays!" Harry protested vehemently, sending the nurse a dark look.

"Mr. Malfoy has no business being in that bed! And I recommend you not taking that tone with me, young man. I am the nurse here, and I know what is good for you, and what isn't. Mr. Malfoy is only disrupting your rest, and him being here is not of any benefit whatsoever," Poppy stated, looking very unhappy.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Draco asked, getting worried by the way Harry had stiffened during the nurse's tirade. He grew even more alarmed when he felt the other boy's magic begin to stir.

"It was _you_! How could you! She was just a child! Hardly more than a baby!" Harry exclaimed, looking furious and horrified at the same time.

"Harry?" Dumbledore asked, taking a step forward, growing concerned as well.

"How could you? How _could_ you! I _trusted_ you, you bitch!" Harry screamed, coming off the bed and stalking towards Pomfrey, murder in his eyes.

"Ash!" Severus snapped, and immediately the eddies of magic that had begun to swirl around the room stilled. Slowly, Harry turned to look at the Potions Master, the blind rage gone, but not the murderous look.

"We will deal with her," Severus promised, moving forward slowly, although he too looked like he wanted to kill someone. "We will do just as we planned, remember? Remember what we said we'd do if we ever found out who it was?"

Harry nodded and allowed Severus to envelop him in a tight hug. Resting his head against a handy shoulder, Harry shuddered as memories assaulted him. "She was just a baby, Sev. Just a baby."

"I know, my friend, and she will pay, just as I promised," Severus murmured, resting his chin on top of Harry's head, while staring hard at Pomfrey. The look of steel in his eyes a sharp contrast to the tenderness he was using when talking to Harry.

"Severus?" Draco asked uncertainly, coming off the bed. Something profound had just happened, but for the life of him, Draco had no idea what. A quick glance towards the others showed that they were as clue less as the blond.

"Draco, why don't you take Harry down to the common room? Your fellow snakes need to know of this development anyway, and they will be able to help you protect Harry until this... person has been removed from the school," Severus said, still staring daggers with Pomfrey.

"Yes, sir," Draco nodded, not about to argue with Severus, or demand answers while he had that look on his face. Swiftly he pulled his shoes on, not bothering with his robe. Taking hold of one of Harry's hands, Draco tugged gently, waiting for Harry to come out of Severus' arms.

He should be jealous he knew, but there was nothing romantic about the way his godfather was holding the one he loved, only fierce protection, and Draco found that he liked the idea of Severus protecting Harry the way he had always protected him.

Severus bent down and whispered something in Harry's ear that caused the black haired youth to look at him with a hopeful expression. When Severus nodded, Harry actually smiled and eagerly went to stand at Draco's side.

Wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulders, Draco steered the two of them out of the hospital wing and down to the dungeons, using every shortcut he knew in hopes of remaining unseen. Now was not the time to come out to the school.

"Severus, would you mind telling us what that was about?" Dumbledore asked, torn between confusion and disapproval. He too had sensed that something of great importance had just happened, but he had no idea what and he hated not knowing what was going on, especially when it involved his people.

"I do not appreciate having one of my patients dismissed before I have not even had a chance to examine them, Severus," Poppy said, looking like she was about to breathe fire herself.

Severus snorted. "Do you really think that Harry was about to allow you anywhere near him? Especially with a wand? Get real, woman!"

"Severus! This is not the time for baseless accusations," Dumbledore admonished not too gently.

"Trust me, Albus, they are not baseless," Severus said grimly. Shaking his head, he pulled himself up to stand straight, looking down his nose at Poppy. "Poppy Pomfrey, I hereby challenge you to a wizard duel of vengeance," he intoned formally.

"Are you out of your mind!" Poppy shrieked, not believing her ears.

"Severus!" McGonagall gasped, shocked beyond words.

"Severus, what is the meaning of this?" Albus cried out in alarm, he didn't think he had ever seen the Potions Master this livid before, and that was saying something.

"No, Madam Pomfrey, I am not out of my mind. I do believe, however, that you are," Severus sneered.

"On what grounds are you issuing this challenge?" Dumbledore asked with a sigh, realizing that Severus was in full protection mode, and not about to back down any time soon.

"On the grounds that that... woman allowed one of her charges to die," Severus said, his sneer turning nasty.

Poppy gasped, clutching her hands to her bosom. "I what? How dare you...?"

"I dare plenty!" Severus barked, stalking towards Pomfrey much like a panther stalks it pray.

"Severus, there will be no bloodshed here today!" Dumbledore said warningly, hoping to prevent the other man from committing outright murder.

Snape reigned in his temper with some difficulty. "You are correct, Albus, I wouldn't want Harry and Pansy to miss when Madam Pomfrey is punished for her crimes."

"What crimes?" the voices asked with different degrees of outrage, anger, and asperity.

"The death of Primrose Parkinson," Severus replied, looking intently at Poppy, feeling gratified when the nurse paled somewhat. She rallied though and rounded on him, waving a pointy finger in his face.

"How dare you accusing me of allowing a patient to die? Besides, I have never cared for this Primrose child, so how could I have caused her death?" she added smartly, looking rather smug.

Severus smiled, and it was not a pleasant smile, but rather shark-like in nature. "Because Pansy wasn't obliviated. Oh, she didn't know who the nurse was, just as the nurse didn't know the identity of the child, but unfortunately for you, Pansy remembered every word you said, and I do mean _every_ word."

Poppy had paled drastically during Severus' tirade, and now she was forced to sit down as her legs no longer would support her.

"Poppy? Severus?" Albus asked, not liking this turn of events.

"During the war, a safe house was set up for those needing protection. Poppy was selected as one of the healers assigned to the care of those children residing at Ashwinder House. She was chosen because we believed in her sincerity to help anyone wounded or sick.

"Unfortunately, her dedication were not as sincere as we had believed. When Primrose Parkinson was rescued from her abusive father, Poppy was called to care for her. But you never cared for her, did you? You allowed that little girl to bleed to death, even going so far as to denying her the comfort of her own sister!" Severus snarled viscously.

"Poppy?" Albus asked, not believing his ears.

Pomfrey snorted, having recovered her composure. "Yes, I was asked to help care for a group of children during the last stages of the war. However, if I had known that it was a camp for Death Eater children, then I would never have agreed to help," Poppy sniffed.

Severus looked livid, and Dumbledore positioned himself between the two in hopes of keeping Snape from wringing the nurse's neck.

"She was five years old!" Severus roared, clutching his wand tightly.

"She had the Dark Mark!" Poppy screamed back. "You tell me how innocent she was! You tell me what she did to earn that mark!"

"She didn't do a damned thing!" Severus shouted, bringing his wand up and pointing it at Pomfrey. "Her sadistic bastard of a father put that mark on her, to remind her that she belonged to Voldemort! The Dark Lord didn't want children! He wanted soldiers! He wanted breeders who could produce more Purebloods, but he did not want children! Parkinson put that mark on her arm. Parkinson beat her half to death just because he knew he could! We managed to rescue her from her home, from her _family_, promising her that she would never feel pain, that kind of pain, ever again in her life. Well, you certainly helped us keep that promise, didn't you? She didn't live five hours after her rescue!

"I promised both Harry and Pansy that if I _ever_ found out who had allowed an innocent little girl die because they refused to treat her wounds, I would take revenge for all three of them. It is your choice, Pomfrey, duel me or receive the Kiss."

"I will not duel you, and in case you had forgotten, there are no Dementors left!" Poppy said snidely, holding her head up proudly.

"Severus, how can you be so sure it was Poppy who refused the care?" Dumbledore asked, hoping that this entire situation was some kind of mistake.

"Because, when Pansy wanted to stay with her sister, Poppy not so kindly informed her that she had no business being in that bed. She also stated that she was a nurse, and that she knew what was good for the little girl, and what wasn't. And Pansy's presence was not a good thing, since it disrupted Primrose's rest and even though she was calling for her sister, Pansy's presence still would be of no benefit whatsoever. In other words, she used the words she just used on Harry Potter, a mere coincidence? I think not!

"Pansy got worried and tried to summon help. Unfortunately, that help arrived too late. There were only three Healers who knew about Ashwinder House. One male and two females. We have been watching the other Healer since none of us could in our wildest dreams believe that Pomfrey would be as cruel and callous as to allow a girl to die such a horrendous death. I guess we didn't know you at all," Severus said somewhat sadly, closing his eyes as a fresh wave of grief and sorrow swept through him.

"Poppy?" Albus asked, feeling bewildered and confused. "Why? I don't understand, you have always put the welfare of the children first."

"And I still do," Poppy stated angrily. "How can you even believe the nonsense he is sprouting? Albus, the man is a _Death Eater_," she went on, her face twisting up in dislike. "The man is nothing but a murderer, for Merlin's sake! I have again and again patched him up when he returned from his sickly pleasures, but only because you were breathing over my shoulder. If it were up to me, I would have allowed him to die a long time ago. I even would have danced upon his grave!" she spat, starting to look murderous herself.

"Poppy?" Albus said, shocked. "I... Why? You knew he was our spy. You knew he brought back vital information to us. I... Why?"

"Spy my arse! Severus Snape is nothing but a sadistic murderer and if I had my way, he would be in Azkaban now, rotting away with the other devils!"

Severus shook his head, a snort of laughter erupting from him. "It was you! It was you who were trying to stir things up at the Ministry, and Salazar knows where else. I would never have thought you to be such a shallow, callous woman."

"Shallow? Callous? I will have you know, _Slytherin,_ that it is not I who am callous and shallow! You are! All you Slytherins are! If I had my will you would _all_ be eradicated from this earth! Every last one of you! None of you bring anything but misery and sorrow!" Poppy spat, for the first time bringing up her own wand, looking like she was about to hex Severus.

The next moment she stiffened, and fell backwards, having been hit by a petrifications spell from Minerva, who had tears falling down her cheeks. "Oh, Poppy, you told me you were over that. You told me you no longer held any resentment," she sighed sadly, sinking down to sit upon a nearby bed.

"Minerva?" Albus asked, feeling completely befuddled.

"Poppy and I were friends. She was two years below me, but we bonded over our love for Transfigurations and animals," McGonagall said, wiping away her tears, nodding in thanks when Severus handed her a pristine handkerchief.

"Then one day she was assaulted. I don't know by whom, Poppy wouldn't say. I do know that it was done by a Slytherin. No one was ever punished for it, since Poppy couldn't say who it was, she only remembered the Slytherin patch on the robe, and no one was about to come forward and confess.

"In time, Poppy returned to her old self, and I honestly thought she had put it all behind her. I suppose I should have known better," McGonagall sighed, looking sadly at the stiff form of her friend still lying on the floor.

"You couldn't have known, Minerva," Albus said gently, coming to stand next to her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"No? Remember the situation with Abraxan Malfoy?" McGonagall asked, looking up at the Headmaster.

Albus sighed sadly while shaking his head. "How could I have forgotten?" he asked gently. Seeing Severus' blank look, Dumbledore elaborated. "A sixth year Hufflepuff was attacked and severely beaten. She claimed a Slytherin had done it, though she couldn't say who it was. The only clue was a few strands of pale blond hair. Abraxan was immediately pointed out as the culprit. He was questioned, of course, but even while under a truth spell he denied any and all involvement. Not many believed him, unfortunately, since most of the school viewed him as bully who had no love for those he considered beneath him.

"Eventually it was found out that it was the girl's boyfriend who was the culprit. A Ravenclaw. He was expelled, of course, but the damage was already done. Most to this day still say that it was Malfoy who had beaten the girl up, not wanting to believe that the girl lied about the Slytherin part as she was scared to death of what the boy would do to her next if she ever told of what had really happened." Dumbledore said with a tired sigh.

"I know that Poppy ranted and raved quite a lot about sneaky Slytherins who always managed to slither away from their just punishment, but with time her rants stopped and I honestly believed that she had come to see the truth. Did she really allow that little girl to die?" McGonagall asked, seeking reassurance from Severus.

"Yes, she did," Severus said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. What a mess. "She confessed inadvertently when she mentioned the mark on the girl's arm. It had been put there that day by her own father. No one knew about it, but Parkinsin, the rescue party, Pansy, and the nurse tending to her sister. Parkinson was killed that night, and no one else involved has spoken of it, so how did she know?"

"I will summon the Aurors, they-"

"No! I have challenged that woman to a duel, a duel of vengeance, and there is no way in hell I am going to allow you to whisk her away to safety before she has been made to stand trial for her crime!" Severus snapped, glaring hotly at Dumbledore.

"Severus..." Seeing that Snape was determined and not about to listen to reason, Dumbledore sighed and placed the nurse on a bed. "Minerva, would you be so kind as to watch over Poppy until this unfortunate business has been dealt with?"

"Of course, Albus," McGonagall nodded, dabbing at her eyes with the handkerchief.

"Thank you, my dear."

HPDM

Draco was becoming more and more concerned for the boy who had stolen his heart. Harry was resembling a zombie more than the vibrant young man he had woken up with earlier. Biting back the torrent of questions wanting to break free, Draco steered Harry into the Slytherin common room, taking him to one of the seats by the fire. Sitting down into his favorite armchair, Draco pulled Harry down to sit on his lap, not caring about the strange looks the others were giving them.

"Potter loves you?" Pansy asked, coming out of her shock and giving the two boys and incredulous look. "How in Salazar's name did _that_ happen?"

To everyone's shock, Harry burst into tears, burying his face in Draco's neck.

"What did I say?" Pansy asked, looking helplessly over at the blond.

"It wasn't so much what you said, as it was you saying it, I think," Draco replied, trying to soothe Harry by petting his soft, black hair.

"Come again?" Pansy asked, dumbfounded. "Could you make even less sense?"

"I agree with Pansy, that didn't make one lick of sense. Why would Potter burst into tears because Pansy was talking to him?"

Draco sighed and looked down at the still sobbing boy. Making a split decision, hoping it wouldn't come back and bite him in the ass, Draco murmured a sleeping charm, putting Harry to sleep. He didn't think the other boy needed to hear all this a second time. The first time had been bad enough.

"Draco?" Theodore asked, feeling just as bewildered as the others.

"What I am about to tell you stays in here, understood? At least for now." Then he frowned, "how many are missing?"

Blaise cast a glance around the room. "Not many I don't think. Considering it is Sunday evening and close to curfew... Most know better than to be gallivanting about."

Nodding his head, remembering Severus' parting words, Draco straightened in his chair. "Sound the bell, we need to have a meeting."

Theodore nodded and went to ring the bell hanging in the corner. If Draco called for a meeting, then things had to be bad, and considering that he had shown up with the Boy Who Lived...

Not five minutes later everyone of Slytherin House were present in the common room, sitting wherever they could squeeze in, anxiously waiting to hear what calamity had befallen them this time.

Making sure that Harry was resting comfortably, Draco moved until he was standing in the empty space in the middle of the room, addressing his fellow snakes, but not before he had put a silencing spell around the chair where Harry was curled up.

"A few things came to light tonight, things that will have far stretching consequences for quite a few of us. First of all, I'd like to tell you that Harry and I are now together," Draco began, pausing when his house mates called out to congratulate him and wishing him and Harry happiness, causing the blond to be double glad for the silencing charm he had put up around the sleeping teen.

Taking a bow, Draco smiled happily and thanked them all for their support. "As many of you know, I have had feelings for him for quite a while now. I guess none of us knew the prat was feeling the same, I for sure was surprised to find out last night. I can't believe he didn't say anything, but that is Harry Potter for you," he added, causing many of the Slytherins to chuckle.

"However, the Potter curse struck again, and instead of being deliriously happy, we now have a serious matter on our hands. All of you know of the safe house that was created for those who wanted to escape Voldemort and his followers?"

Heads nodded all around the room. The knowledge of a safe house had never been formally announced, yet those finding themselves in desperate need to escape their fanatic and/or deranged family, found out about it and found themselves whisked away if they so wished. As the war grew more and more intense during their sixth year, more and more found themselves in need of being rescued.

They no longer had a wish to join with the Dark Lord, especially not after Potter had showed them a few of the things he had witnessed. What happened during the Death Eater meetings were not what their families had led them to believe. There was no glory following Voldemort, only pain, humiliation, and fear.

"It would seem that Harry was involved in setting Ashwinder House up, which would explain why Remus Lupin was the one in charge of it," Draco said, rolling his eyes slightly. Having worked closely with the werewolf Draco had come to a new understanding of the man, and couldn't help but admire his strength and determination to keep everyone at Ashwinder House safe.

"Potter!" Blaise exclaimed. "But why would _he_ want to help _us_? I thought he hated everything Slytherin?"

Draco chuckled, remembering what Harry had told him earlier. "Apparently the Golden Boy isn't as golden as we'd thought. Apparently, there is a lot of silver in him too. Somewhere along the way, he grew up and realized that we aren't as black as we have been painted. That is why he opened the DA for everyone. That is why we were welcomed with open arms, despite the protests from Granger and Weasley.

"I don't know -- yet -- the story behind Ashwinder House, but since Severus called Harry Ash just now, I feel it is a safe bet to assume that he somehow was involved in that project. Yes, he and Severus are in fact good friends, in spite of their many public fights last year," Draco continued, easily speaking over the gasps of surprise coming from all around the common room.

"But that is not all that came to light tonight," Draco said with a sigh, giving Pansy a sad, apologetic look. Firming his resolve, knowing that the girl deserved to know, Draco told them of what he knew about the confrontation with Pomfrey.

Pansy paled and looked to be on the verge of fainting, while Blaise was living up to his name, looking ready to breath fire.

"Before you start plotting revenge, Severus is already in charge of that. Knowing our Head of House, I'd say he has some rather nasty things in mind for our not so beloved nurse. Harry looked ready to mete out justice then and there, but Severus managed to calm him down, which I am glad for since he is still recovering. I didn't hear what Sev was whispering to him, but whatever it was, produced the most evil smile I have ever seen on Potter's face, so I believe it is safe to assume that she will not be a problem for long.

"However, when the news hit the school, Harry will with no doubt be made a target yet again. Just about everyone holds that woman in high esteem, and they won't accept the news of her actions easily. Knowing the minds of the Weasle and the Mudblood, they will not take this well, especially when they find out that we are together. He is going to need your protection, whether he agrees or not, so I am asking you to keep an ear open and report to me or Severus anything and everything the others are plotting."

"Don't worry, Draco, we will protect your back," Millicent said fiercely, fingering her wand with an almost anticipatory look on her face. "You just concentrate on keeping that boy happy. You both deserve some happiness, especially considering all the things you've done to keep us safe. Right snakes?" Millicent called, looking out around the room.

The responses to her words were strong enough to make everyone temporary deaf. It was certainly strong enough to break through Draco's silencing charm, and Harry stirred slightly, coming away from his sleep.

"Thank you, all. Neither of us will ever forget this," Draco promised, making his way over to Harry. "We will now retire for the night, Harry is still recovering from that damned fever of his. We will see you all in the morning."

Harry blinked his eyes open, wondering dimly where he was. Looking around, his searching eyes landed on Draco and his face lit up with happiness. It hadn't been a dream! Draco truly did love him too!

With a cry of joy, not caring who saw him, Harry launched himself out of the chair and into Draco's waiting arms. Claiming his love's lips in a searing kiss, neither boy noticed when violets sprang up around their feet, nor did they hear the soft strands of violin music that suddenly filled the air.

The two only pulled apart when air became an issue, and acting on a whim, Draco picked up the slightly smaller boy and carried him to Draco's private room, leaving a stunned common room behind.

"I thought the manifestations of the Love Fever were supposed to die down once the two lovebirds had been united," Theodore said, looking at the carpet of violets that were still visible on the floor.

"I guess Harry Potter is going to be just as different in love as he was when it came to war," Pansy said, chuckling weakly through her tears.

"I don't know about you, but I am going to go to bed now," Blaise announced, climbing to his feet. "I for one, do not wish to miss what else those two are going to create. As sweet as they were acting, it wouldn't surprise me if we are to be subjected to just about every cliché there is when it comes to love."

The other Slytherins laughed and slowly they all climbed to their feet and prepared to retire for the night. Blaise had a point, and none wanted to risk missing breakfast.

HPDM

It was a tired looking Severus Snape that entered the Slytherin common room the next morning. He had been up most of the night, and he was paying for that now. It was only his iron control -- and a large dose of his strongest Pepper-up -- that allowed him to function as if everything was normal.

However, things were far from normal. Dumbledore had insisted they summon a few Aurors, and in the end Severus had given in, agreeing it might be beneficial to have a record of the things the nurse had done.

What none of them had realized was that Pomfrey had done far worse things than allowing an innocent little girl to die due to lack of treatment. Harry would not take these news well. Hell, _he_ wasn't taking the news well!

Blinking, Severus took in the large amount of students waiting in the common room. It was Monday morning, and even though his snakes knew the consequences of oversleeping, he didn't think he had ever seen them gathered in mass like this ever before.

In the silence that fell at his arrival, Severus heard the violin music, and his eyebrow climbed an inch. Then he noted the flowery aroma tainting the air. "What happened?" he asked with amusement. "Did someone break their bottle of perfume?" he added, moving fully into the room.

The snakes glanced at each other, and then Millicent stepped forward. "No, sir. You see, well, Draco told us the good news, and then he put Potter, I mean Harry, to sleep and told us the bad news. Then Harry woke up and..." she trailed off and pointed towards the violets that were still there.

Severus blinked, and had he been alone he would probably have rubbed his eyes in astonishment. What he did was pinching the bridge of his nose. He should have foreseen this, he really should have. "I am assuming this also explains the music?" he asked dryly, waving at the air.

"Yes, sir."

Ruefully Severus shook his head and looked up towards the ceiling. It looked like Harry Potter would be the death of him yet. "So, where are our resident lovebirds?"

"On their way, sir, they have just woken up," Blaise replied.

"Could you hurry them along? I have news, and I would rather not go over this twice. If anyone else is missing, hurry them along as well."

Blaise nodded and made his way towards the back where Draco's room was, while Millicent and Theodore counted heads to make sure everyone was present.

Blaise returned not five minutes later with two alert, and bright eyed boys, who was holding hands and looking almost ridiculously happy and in love.

Severus bit back a sigh, hating to have to bring them back to earth.

"Sev?" Harry asked in surprise to see the Potions Master standing by the entrance. Then he sighed and shook his head sadly. "I take it she's a bigger bitch than we figured?" he asked tiredly, happily leaning into Draco's side when the other boy wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Indeed," Severus said with a heavy sigh.

It was Harry's turn to sigh, and he conjured a love seat and pulled Draco down to sit on it with him. "Okay, hit me."

"Poppy Pomfrey was interrogated last night by Aurors Tonks, Shackelbolt, and Mad-Eye Moody."

"Will that man _never_ retire?" Harry asked with amusement, and the entire common room sighed with silent relief that the Boy Who Lived To Save Us All hadn't gone into an angry rant. They had all witnessed how Potter's temper grew shorter and shorter during their sixth year, and how he grew less and less tolerant of others stupidity, especially if that stupidity effected him or those he considered friends.

"I do not believe so," Severus said, having noted the relief even if Harry hadn't. "I don't think anyone will bother to inform you of the extent of that... woman's actions, which is why I insisted on being present, and this is also the reason why we are having this meeting now."

"What did she do? Spy on us for Voldemort?" Draco asked, not liking how grim Severus looked.

"Actually, she did."

"What?" furious and confused voices cried out across the common room.

Severus nodded grimly. "She is the one who sent Voldemort anonymous messages about the movements of the Slytherin House. She is the one who betrayed us to that monster, causing the death of many good people. It is fortunate she never knew where Ashwinder House was, or she would have tipped him off and condemned everyone there to a most horrendous death.

"But that is not all she did. She put several students under Imperio, encouraging them to seek out and join with Voldemort. She never bothered with any of you snakes, figuring we were already in the Dark Lord's pocket, but she did do it to the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs. She even did it to a three Gryffindors."

"But... why?" Harry asked, voicing the question they were all struggling with.

"She hated anything Slytherin," Severus said simply.

Harry frowned, not happy with that answer, it was too... simple.

"There was an incident when Pomfrey was a student at this school, apparently, she never got over it. When Draco's grandfather was falsely accused of attacking and brutally beating a Hufflepuff, her hatred only grew. The girl was lying, but Pomfrey preferred to believe the lie.

"When Voldemort appeared, she saw it as an excellent opportunity to rid the world of the undesirable. She forced quite a few unfortunate souls into taking the damned Dark Mark, including your father, Draco."

"So he really _was_ under the Imperio-curse?" Draco asked, starting to tremble when the enormity of the nurse's actions began to sink in.

"Yes, as was several others," Severus said with a compassionate smile, keeping to himself that he too was one of the deranged woman's victims. The sharp look Harry sent him, told the Potions Master that he at least suspected, but thankfully the boy had learned when to keep his mouth shut, and didn't bring it up, for which Severus was extremely thankful. He didn't want this to be about him, but about the ones who didn't survive.

"But, didn't she realize what she was doing? She helped Voldemort gain an army for Salazar's sake!" Millicent cried out angrily, hugging a softly crying Pansy to her.

"Oh, she knew she helped filling up his ranks, but she didn't care. She had every confidence in Albus Dumbledore, the slayer of Grindlewald. If the Headmaster could deal with him, then he could deal with this upstart as well."

Several of the student snorted and Severus nodded his head in agreement, his lips twitching with amusement. He couldn't have put it better himself. Dumbledore had proven to be completely worthless when it came to defeating Voldemort, and it had been solely up to Harry and his friends to get the job done. And the youths circle of friends had grown much larger than anyone had ever suspected, coming to include such unexpected people as Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, and Pomona Sprout, who, along with Neville Longbottom, had created quite a few insidious traps. Such a portable Devil's Snare that strangled anyone they came in contact with, as long as they carried the Dark Mark. Severus felt it poetical justice that Bellatrix Lestrange had fallen victim to one of those snares. The boy had even managed to manipulate Fudge and that Skeeter woman to do what he wanted, and the irony was that neither of them even knew it!

"What is going to happen to her, Sev?" Harry asked, not about to let the nurse get away with what she had done. Especially not now when he knew just how much damage she had done to the population at Hogwarts. "Why the hell did she come here to work, if she hated Slytherins so much? And why the hell didn't anyone _notice_?"

"A very good question, unfortunately, the answer is not as good," Severus said, rubbing at his temples. "Pomfrey is in love with Albus. He in turn is quite taken with her. The two of them are lovers, in fact, they have been together since she received her Healer degree.

Most of the present students wrinkled their noses and looked like they were going to be sick.

"Yes, she had the Headmaster completely in her pocket. The only other member of the staff she was really close with, was Minerva McGonagall, the two of them went to school here together. Pomfrey used a nasty little potion to keep Minerva from suspecting her, slipping it to her during their weekly team meetings."

Harry just shook his head in disgust, putting his head against Draco's. Thank Merlin for his childish rebellion that started the night Sirius died. Harry had stormed from the Headmaster's office the moment the man had allowed him to leave, and he had spent the next few weeks ranting and raving at him in the privacy of his bedroom at Privet Drive.

Determined to _never_ forgive the old man for the mess that had lost him his godfather, Harry had sat down and re-evaluated his entire life. Not feeling happy with Dumbledore's manipulations, Harry had set out to find someone he could trust, and who knew what was going on in the war. He had been a bit dismayed to realize that that only left him Snape, but filled with righteous anger and stubbornness, Harry had hunted the man down and apologized for his actions and asked for a truce.

Snape, being Snape, had not been easy to convince, but after having bribed him with a tour of the Chamber of Secrets -- not to mention helping him harvesting what was left of the Basilik -- the two had managed to come to a uneasy understanding.

Occlumency lessons had started up again, this time disguised as detentions that Draco unwittingly helped them stage, and from there things had just kept on snowballing until Harry had managed to kill off Voldemort, bringing peace to their world.

Due to Harry's churlish attitude towards the Headmaster, Dumbledore had never been clued in on what was going on. Severus had taken a preserved pleasure in knowing something the old man didn't, and had found himself hard pressed not to laugh Dumbledore in the face when he sought Severus out and lectured him on going easy on Harry, since he was in mourning over his godfather.

Now, in the light of what they had just found out, Severus felt immensely grateful for that churlish attitude and for Harry's refusal to involve Dumbledore unless it just could not be avoided.

How much of the Order plans had she known? How many of those had she sabotaged in her attempts to rid the world of anything Slytherin? The woman had even gone after students in the other Houses just because they came from a long line of Slytherins, for Salazar's sake!

"As for what will happen to her... I challenged her to a duel of vengeance last night. Pomfrey has twenty four hours to respond to that. She doesn't have much choice, she will either face me, or face the Kiss."

"I thought there wasn't any Dementors left," Pansy said, looking up Millicent's shoulder.

"Oh, they still exist, unfortunately," Harry said, glancing over at the girl. "They are such dark creatures that destroying them are almost impossible. All the souls they have consumed have only made them stronger, along with their ability to feed on negative emotions. We are still working on finding a way to rid our world of them, but for now they are locked away. And no, I don't know where they are or how to reach them. The few who can do that are well protected, since we don't want anyone else to use them the way Riddle did. However, I am certain one or two of them would be only too delighted in sending Pomfrey to where the Dementors are kept, one more soul won't do much difference when it comes to their extermination, not even one as dark as hers," Harry added, glaring darkly down at the floor.

"I know this has come as a shock to all of us, but the truth is out now. Pomfrey has been exposed for what she is, and she will soon be dealt with, in one way or another. Forget about her, forget about the war, and focus on the fact that you are alive. Besides, we have another reason to celebrate, our two lovebirds," Severus added with a wicked grin, causing most of the snakes to laugh, and Draco and Harry to blush hotly.

"I will get you for that, Sev," Draco promised with a saccharine sweet smile, but Severus merely laughed and waved him off.

"The time is growing late, and Dumbledore is probably waiting for us to appear so he can make his announcement. Don't let the other Houses get to you, since I am convinced many of them will put the blame of this entire fiasco at our feet."

Harry snorted as he stood up, half turning so he could hold out his hand and help Draco to his feet as well. "You know they will, especially Ron. I say we ignore the prats. All us in here know the truth; all of us know that if it weren't for you snakes and your cunning, I would never have been able to devise the plans needed to take old Voldemort out. You will probably not end up in the history books, but you all have a great story to tell your children and your grand children. Keep that in mind, hold your head up high, and hex the pants of the brats if they give you a hard time!"

"Not exactly the speech I would have made, Mr. Potter, but you managed to get the more important facts across," Severus said dryly, causing most of the common room to break into another bout of laughter.

"Love you to, Sev," Harry said with a coy smile.

"You better not!" Draco growled, tightening his grip on Harry's hand and dragged the teen from the room.

Severus watched them leave with an amused smile on his face, and the other seventh years scrambled to catch up with them, not wanting them to face the rest of the school alone.

_Yes,_ Severus mused, making his own way to the Great Hall, _Harry and Draco should help keeping the students suitably distracted if I am reading the signs right. We could do with some happiness after the dark times we have lived through. I just hope they will keep it out of my classroom!_

* * *

A question, what do you consider clichés when it comes to love? I've used roses and chocolates; violets and violin music... What would you like to see appear in future chapters? 


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own them. Sigh

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Harry felt both happiness and pride as he walked into the Great Hall hand in hand with Draco Malfoy. He knew that it hadn't fully sunk in yet that the blond boy actually loved him and was willing, eager even, to start building a life with him.

Never, not even in his wildest dreams, had Harry dared to believe that this day would actually arrive. Never had he dared to even hope that Draco would, or even could, feel anything for him than the casual friendship they had manage to build during their sixth year. It spoke of both of their acting skills, since no one, not even they, had suspected that there were much deeper feelings running under the surface.

Tightening his grip on Draco's hand, Harry held his head high as they made their way towards the Slytherin table, worried that something would happen to tear the other boy from his side.

"Have you changed your mind? Do you wish to sit with the Gryffs-" Draco started to ask, only to be interrupted by the love of his life.

"No," Harry cut in, shaking his head. "Your sacrifice is noted and appreciated. But this is where I belong. This is where the Sorting Hat wanted to place me. Dumbledore has ruled my life for too long; it is about time the world got to know the true Boy Who Lived, wouldn't you say?" Harry asked, giving Draco a tender smile, reaching up and brushing a lock of hair away from his forehead.

The smile that lit Draco's face brightened the room, and it caused Harry's breath to hitch. Ignoring their audience, Draco pulled Harry to him, giving him a tender kiss, not caring one whit about the whispers that sprung up around the room at his actions. Above their heads, a couple of bluebirds appeared, circling around them, singing with joy.

Unfortunately, their perfect moment did not last, and the atmosphere was broken when someone cried out in a strident tone of voice, "Harry James Potter!"

The next thing they knew, someone was pulling them apart, roughly, and Harry found himself wrapped up in a pair of arms that did not belong to Draco. Panicking, Harry's magic flared up, pushing the interloper away from him, almost leaping to stand by Draco's side, glaring at the ones who had dared to interrupt them.

Before he could do anymore damage, Draco wrapped an arm around his shoulders, murmuring, "Stand down, Tiger, it is merely Granger and Weasley."

Harry blinked, finally seeing the ones who had dared pulling Draco and him apart. "Ron? Hermione?" he asked, not sure what to feel. He had thought he would have a little more time before his friend confronted him. He knew they would not be happy with him -- which was why he hadn't told them of his deepening feelings for the Slytherin in the first place. But for the two of them to attack them in the Great Hall? That was extreme to say the least. At least for Hermione, Ron he could see reacting in this way.

"Harry! What is the matter with you? What are you doing with that stuck up prig? When did you recover from the fever? Why didn't you tell us you weren't feeling well? Why-"

"Do you always sprout off questions in that manner, Granger?" Draco asked with a drawl, looking down his nose at her.

Harry suppress a giggle, knowing that now was not the time for levity. "Ron, Hermione, I'll meet you later and we can talk then, okay?" Harry stated more than asked, starting to pull Draco towards their seats, feeling thankful to see the other Slytherin seventh years standing by their side, showing their support.

"No! That is not alright! Harry Potter, how dare you-" Hermione began only to be cut off again, this time by Harry.

"Hermione Jane Granger!" he mimicked the other girl, giving her a dark glower. "I hardly believe that the Great Hall is the proper place to have this 'discussion', do you? You better sit down before you lose Gryffindor a bunch of points. Professor McGonagall is _not_ looking happy at the moment," Harry warned, though he had a feeling it was the situation with Pomfrey that caused their Head of House's expression.

Hermione glanced over her shoulder, and noting that Harry was correct, her shoulders sagged slightly. Then she straightened her back, giving Harry a hard look. "Very well, I will meet with you later, but you better have a good explanation for your behaviour, Mister, or-"

"I would say that you have already provided me with ample proof that I made the correct decision," Harry stated, giving her a disapproving look. Grasping Draco's hand firmly, Harry turned away from the spluttering girl, feeling a slight surprise by the fact that Ron had managed to keep his mouth shut -- that had to be a first -- and went to sit down among the snakes. Now that he thought about it, Harry found that he was ravenous, and he could only hope that breakfast wouldn't be delayed for too long.

Climbing to his feet, Dumbledore clanged his knife against his goblet. Looking out over the hall, he smiled a small, sad smile and said, "Good morning, children. Now that we are all gathered, I have a few announcements to make. First of all, as you have no doubt already witnessed, Harry Potter has awakened from his fever. It would seem that he and Draco Malfoy has grown closer than anyone of us suspected, even themselves," he added with a mischievous smile, a small twinkle momentarily appearing in his eyes.

Then he grew sombre once more and forged on. "Unfortunately, some sad and serious business was discovered last night. Poppy Pomfrey, our own school nurse, was discovered to have aided Lord Voldemort."

Gasps rang out across the room, as the shocked students tried to understand what the Headmaster was telling them.

"Due to an unfortunate incident in her youth, Poppy Pomfrey came to hate all things Slytherin. We only found out last night that she has been working actively ever since the first raise of Lord Voldemort to eradicate everyone she consider to be a Slytherin. She has even gone as far as to use the Unforgivables to encourage students to become his followers.

"We will search for the students she placed under Imperio, and we will make sure the curse is broken. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to lessen the sufferings they have been put through.

"Professor Snape has challenged Madam Pomfrey to a Duel of Vengeance, and we will know within the next twenty-four hours if she accepts the duel or if she will admit to her guilt and take her just punishment.

"In the meantime you have classes to prepare for, so let us eat and try to focus on our lessons," Albus said, gratefully sinking back into his seat. Poppy's betrayal had affected him hard, and at the moment he couldn't care less about the school. His lover had betrayed him, had betrayed the Light, all so she could get revenge on people who were long gone. How could he have been so blind? How much else had he missed?

Involuntarily, his gaze went to the Slytherin table, and the black haired youth sitting there. Had he done the right thing when it came to Harry? It had been on her encouragement he had made sure to influence Harry away from the Slytherins. Had it been Poppy's prejudice that had been talking? Or had it been her professional side?

Looking down at his empty plate, Albus sighed forlornly. He would probably never know what had been real and what had been lies. He just couldn't understand how she had managed to fool him for so long. Had she used potions on him as well? She had done it to Minerva, but she hadn't said anything about doing it to him. Then again, he hadn't really asked her, had he? Sighing once more, Albus forced himself to pour himself some tea and butter a toast. He was _not_ looking forward to today.

HPDM

Over at the Slytherin table, Draco was grumbling under his breath about idiots who didn't know when to keep their mouth shut. Harry watched him with fond amusement for a while, but when it became evident that the blond was too upset to eat, Harry figured he would have to do something.

Leaning forward, Harry gently cupped Draco's face between his hands, effectively bringing the other boy's litany to a halt. Bringing their faces close, Harry gave his love a sweet, tender albeit brief kiss.

Pulling back, Harry was pleased to see that Draco's eyes were glazed, and he seemed to be in a daze. Then Draco shook his head, and gave the other teen a mock glare for distracting him. Giving Harry a quick peck on the lips, Draco returned his attention to his breakfast, this time taking the time to actually eat the food and not just pushing it around on his plate.

Feeling satisfied that his mission had been accomplished, Harry turned to his own breakfast, never noticing the grins the Slytherins sitting around them sported. Getting Draco out of a hissy fit had always been a chore in the past. Clearly, things were going to be much easier on everyone from now on if all Harry had to do was to give the Ice Prince a kiss for him to melt.

HPDM

Unfortunately, Draco's good mood did not last. Through the morning classes, the two boys could be seen walking down the corridors, holding hands and look extremely happy. Their Slytherin friends walked with them, acting as a buffer between the two lovebirds and the rest of the school. And they were needed. Most of the other students couldn't care less that the former enemies had fallen in love with each other. The Ravenclaws had too much fun trying to figure out the dynamics of the magic needed for _that_ to happen to take offence, while the Hufflepuffs were sighing teary-eyed about what a romantic picture the two made.

The Gryffindors, however, were not pleased, and they tried everything they could think of, short of hexing Malfoy, to break the pair apart. Ron still kept his mouth shut; although his glowering looks promised a lot of shouting the moment he had Harry to himself. Hermione, on the other hand, was for once not displaying her renowned level-headedness, demanding loudly for Harry to explain himself to her satisfaction. Harry pointedly ignored her, not wanting to engage in a screaming match where the entire school could hear them.

When it was finally time for lunch, Harry breathed a sigh of relief and headed for the dungeons. His temper was growing shorter by the minute, and his still weakened body was unable to handle the strain of keeping up in the lessons and holding back his anger. He desperately needed a breather. And if Hermione whined one more 'Harry James Potter!' at him, then Harry truly would blow his top and start shouting at her, decorum be damned!

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter, a word," Severus said, appearing out of nowhere, startling Hermione who had just managed to catch up with the duo again, despite everyone's attempt to give her the slip.

"Of course, Professor," Harry said with a small nod of his head, turning his back on the fuming Gryffindor with a relieved sigh.

Silently the two followed Snape as he swept down the corridors, knowing that they weren't in trouble by the way the robes billowed.

Minutes later, Severus came to a stop outside his private rooms. Stating the password, not caring if the teens heard him or not, the Potions professor opened the door and stood aside, allowing the boys to walk in first.

Seeing the person standing in the living room, Harry's eyes lit up with happiness and he let go of Draco's hand, rushing forward with a happy cry of, "Lucius!"

Lucius Malfoy wrapped the black-haired teen into a warm hug. "I take it that a 'welcome to the family' would be welcomed?" Lucius asked, giving his son a teasing smirk.

Draco merely scowled. He knew the two had become good friends, but it still rankled him to see Harry wrapped up in his father's arms. Draco was a Malfoy, and Malfoys do not share. Not even with family.

Lucius merely chuckled, knowing fully well what was going on inside his son's mind. Looking down at Harry, the blond put a finger under the teen's chin and asked, "Why in the world didn't you tell me you had developed feelings for my son? You must have known that I would not refute a union between the two of you."

Harry blushed and took a few steps back, unable to hold the older man's gaze. "I knew that _you_ wouldn't mind. But I had no idea how Draco felt," Harry replied, glancing over at his love as Draco came to stand by his side, wrapping a possessive arm around his waist.

"I didn't want Draco to be with me out of some misplaced sense of duty, or worse, out of pity." Harry shrugged his shoulders slightly. "He never gave me any reason to believe that he had any deeper feelings for me, and I was not about to jeopardise the friendship we had managed to develop by greedily ask for more than he was willing to give."

"Idiot," Draco said lovingly, pulling Harry into a warm hug.

"Hey! How was I to know that you were in love with me too?" Harry protested, giving Draco a light shove. "You didn't exactly broadcast your feelings, you know!"

"Well, neither did you!" Draco protested. "Besides, I already told you that I was planning to court you the moment all the hoopla had died down. Unlike some, I didn't make myself sick!"

"Children," Lucius said warningly, not wanting the arguing to continue. It was a moot point now anyway. The two had declared their feelings for each other, and would probably bond as soon as they had graduated if he was reading those heated looks properly.

"Sorry," two voices mumbled in stereo, tricking the two older men to snort with amusement.

"I have arranged for some food. You, Harry, need to eat. You were far too skinny before you fell ill with the fever, and you are mere skin and bones now. How Draco can hug you and not get splinters I'll never know," Severus sneered, although his usual venom was gone.

Harry merely rolled his eyes and headed towards the professor's small dinner area. He had grown quite close to the two older men, and had come to regard them as mentors and even as father figures. But where Severus held everyone at a distance, Lucius did not mind giving the occasional hug -- as long as they were in private and away from prying eyes.

"You need to work on that sense of humour that you lack, Professor," Harry said, sitting down at the table. "Isn't there a potion or something you could take to help with the development? At the rate you are going you will never be funny," he added with a cheeky grin.

"You, Mr. Potter, are not amusing," Severus said dryly, cuffing the back of Harry's head.

"On the contrary, I find him highly amusing," Lucius said with an infectious chuckle.

"You would!" Severus sneered, but his lips were twitching, showing that he wasn't as upset as he sounded.

"So, what are you doing here, Dad?" Draco asked, figuring it was time to change the subject. Severus might have mellowed in his attitude towards Harry, but there was no need to push their luck.

"Can't a father come and congratulate his son for finding the love of his life?" Lucius asked with a lifted eyebrow.

Draco merely looked at his father, lifting his own eyebrow in reply.

Lucius chuckled and shook his head. The boy was a Malfoy through and through. "Severus has been kind enough to fill me in on the happenings of the past day. I must say that I find it most difficult to believe that the culprit we've been searching for was Madam Pomfrey. I knew that she was never fond of us Slytherins, but for her to go so far…" Lucius said, his eyes growing distant for a moment as he recalled his school days.

It had been quite a shock to discover that it was Pomfrey who had placed him under the Imperio that compelled him to seek out Voldemort and become on of his followers. How could Dumbledore _not_ have known what was going on?

Before that woman was given her just punishment, there were several questions that Lucius intended to ask of her. And no one better stand in his way. As one who had suffered untold horrors at the Dark Lord's side, it was his right to ask those questions. Maybe then he would be able to put the past twenty some years to rest.

"I'm sorry she did that to you," Harry said softly, putting a hand on the older man's arm, effectively bringing him back to the here and now. "I am also sorry that no one bothered to stand up for you when you were young," he added, glancing at Severus to include him in the apology. "It might have been Pomfrey who cursed you, but Dumbledore has a lot to answer for as well. He never stood up for you Slytherins. Not when my parents went to school here, and he still isn't treating the snakes fairly."

"Thank you, Harry, but this isn't your apology to make," Severus said, placing a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," Harry mumbled, staring down at the table top, the food momentarily forgotten. "I think... I think it is time that Dumbledore retired as Headmaster. I think it is time for someone who cares for the entire school to step up as leader of Hogwarts. I have a feeling the war will never truly be over unless an effort is made to unite the school."

Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's shoulders and pulled him close to his side, resting his cheek against soft black hair. "This isn't your fight anymore, Harry."

"Isn't it? I have a feeling that if someone doesn't stand up for the Slytherins, and soon, then all this was for nothing. We all here know what an important roll the snakes had in this war. But the rest of the school don't. Hell, the rest of the world hasn't got even the tiniest clue. Seeing the way Hermione has reacted to me being with Draco has opened my eyes. I didn't want to say anything after the war, because I was tired and I just wanted to be left alone. But that isn't going to happen, is it? I'm never going to be completely out of the limelight, will I?" Harry asked with a dejected sigh.

"No," Lucius said gently, giving the black haired teen a small, sad smile. "Because of your heroic efforts during the war, and because of the circumstances that lead to the Dark Lord's first fall, you will always be a prominent figure in our world."

"You can either run from it, ending up bitter when you don't succeed. Or..." Severus said, giving Harry a contemplating look.

"Or, you could embrace it and use your fame to influence people to make the changes you deem necessary," Draco said, hugging Harry tighter for a moment.

Harry accepted the support he could feel from the three Slytherins in the room. He knew from experience that it was impossible to run from his fame. The war had ended months ago, and he was still drowning in mail from the British wizarding populations. He had lost count on how many bonding proposals he had received, or the number of offers to carry his children made by witches and wizards alike.

Still... Did he truly wish to get involved in politics? He had no wish to become the next Minister of Magic. But then there was Draco. Did he wish to follow his father's footsteps and get involved in the political world?

"I don't want to become the next Minister of Magic," Harry stated with conviction, knowing that he was speaking nothing but the truth. "However, if Draco wishes to get involved with politics, I will stand by him and support him wholeheartedly."

"Thank you, love, but I have no great wish to get involved with politics either. Father might love the thrill, but I just don't have the patience needed to deal with the idiots working at the Ministry," Draco said, shuddering slightly as he remembered all the parties his parents had dragged him to over the years.

Lucius threw his head back and laughed merrily.

"No, Draco does not have the patience to deal with the Dunderheads that reside inside the halls of the Ministry of Magic," Severus said with a chuckle.

Draco groaned and hid his face in Harry's shoulder.

"What did he do?" Harry asked, his eyes shining with curiosity.

"When Draco was five--"

"Father, please!" Draco muttered, still hiding his face in Harry's shoulder.

Lucius ignored him and went on with his story. "When Draco was five, we were invited to the Minister's Christmas ball. Needless to say, my little Dragon was not amused," Lucius said with a fond smile at his mortified son.

"Lucius?" Harry asked, begging the older man with his eyes to tell what had happened.

"Cornelius was doing his customary meet and greet, and when he came to us, he welcomed me warmly, shaking my hand. He gushed over Narcissa and her new robe and jewellery, and then he turned towards Draco," Lucius said, his voice shaking with suppressed mirth. "Cornelius made the mistake of bending forward and pinch Draco's cheek while saying, 'Merlin, what a cute child. You must be so proud of him, Lucius.'"

Draco huffed and pulled away from Harry, folding his arms across his chest, knowing fully well what was coming next.

"Draco became most indignant. Stating in a voice that could be heard across half the ball room he stated, 'I am not _cute_'. Adding insult to injury, Draco let loose a wave of accidental magic, calling forth a vicious looking rain cloud, ending up drenching everyone present," Lucius managed to get out before succumbing to his mirth, laughing until tears were streaming down his face.

Harry made the mistake of looking at Draco, who had added a pout to his huffy mood. Harry had no troubles imagining just that same look on the five year old who had just had his cheek pinched, and the next thing anyone knew, Harry was doubled over, shouting with laughter. Which proved to be Severus undoing, and he too broke into peals of laughter.

Draco huffed some more and when that didn't help, he pointedly ignored the group and began to eat his lunch.

"D-did F-fudge ever p-pinch Draco again?" Harry managed to ask, eyes streaming with tears and his ribs aching.

"No," Lucius replied, starting to recover from his fit. "Since that day, Fudge never as much as lay a hand on another child again, no matter how important of influential their parents were. Which is why Cornelius' personal hat maker is rumoured to have earned a fortune by providing the Minister with those ridiculous hats he is always mangling beyond recognition."

That was too much for even Draco, and all four succumbed to a fresh bout of hilarity.

HPDM

"So, how do you suggest we go about changing the reputation of the Slytherin House?" Harry asked when Severus had banished the leftovers of their lunch back to the kitchen.

"I would gather the snakes and talk with them first, telling them it was you who arranged for the Ashwinder House to be set up, and why you did it. I know that you do not wish recognition, but they deserve to know who they have to thank for the chance of escaping the fate of being branded as one of the Dark Lord's minions," Lucius said, giving Harry a serious look.

"Besides, most have already guess that you were involved somehow," Draco piped up. "What with your reaction to Pomfrey and the way Severus called you Ash to calm you down last night. But I still think that is a good idea, I mean, I for one would love to know the details. Why would you put yourself out so much for us snakes?" Draco asked, giving Harry a searching look. The curiosity and the wish to understand his love had been driving him nuts all day. Only the desire to keep Harry happy had kept him from prying every last detail out of his boyfriend.

Harry smiled and snuggled into Draco's side. "Once I realised that almost none of you wished to join Voldemort, how could I _not_ act? I knew what it was like to be forced into doing something you didn't want to do, so how could I stand back and watch an entire House worth of students being coerced onto a path they did not wish to walk? Besides, I figured it would piss off Dumbledore to lose a whole lot of people he could play god with," Harry added darkly. Then he shook his head to dispel the dark memories, now was not the time or the place to deal with them. "So, first I talk to the Slytherins, and then I...?"

"Then you talk to the rest of the school," Severus said calmly.

"I would suggest that we arrange for the press to be present at that event. If we place Harry under a truth spell, then they cannot argue later that he was being coerced, or that he was telling a lie to make Draco look good in the eyes of the world," Lucius said, his eyes alight with happiness. He _loved_ to mess with the mind of others, and he took especial delight in turning other people's world upside-down.

"Truth spell?" Harry asked hesitantly, not liking the sound of that. "What if some idiot asked me a question I don't want to answer?"

"No, Harry, we are not talking about Veritaserum," Severus said soothingly, knowing all too well that Harry had a lot of secrets still. "What Lucius has in mind is a spell that surrounds the person under it with a blue light. As long as you tell the truth, the glow stays blue, but if you lie, it turns red. You are under no compulsion of any kind to tell the truth. In the old days it was used during trials to ensure that everyone knew whether the defended spoke the truth of not.

"Why did they stop using it?" Harry asked, intrigued.

"I'm not sure," Severus admitted with a frown. He glanced over at Lucius who merely shrugged as well.

Harry filed the information away and returned his focus to the matter at hand. "I think I need to talk to Ron and Hermione first, and then the snakes. Could we have the press conference tomorrow night? I want this to be over as soon as possible. I predict that we will be on the receiving end of a lot of Howlers in the near future," Harry said, doing his best to mimic Trelawney's dreamy voice, causing the two Malfoys to snort. Severus merely sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I think you are right, both about the Howlers and about Granger and Weasley," Draco said, once he had his amusement under control. "The way that girl has been pestering you today..." Draco shook his head. "Doesn't she know when to give up?"

"No," Harry replied soberly. She is so used to knowing everything that's going on that it drives her absolutely batty when she finds herself out of the loop. But there is more to it than that; she thinks that since she is my friend, she has the right to dictate to me how I should live my life. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that she and Ron had my entire future mapped out, including me marrying Ginny. Merlin knows that they have given me enough hints about it over the past semester. Ron was not happy when I declined going with them to the Burrow. I think they had arranged to orchestra my asking her out during the holidays."

Draco glowered and wrapped a possessive arm around the black haired teen. "Well, they can just forget those plans! You are mine now, and I don't share. Especially not with a Weasley!"

Harry snorted a laugh. "Love, someday you will have to share-"

"What?" Draco cried out angrily, turning around swiftly to glower darkly at the other teen. "Why would I have to?" he asked, sounding highly suspicious.

Harry blinked in surprise; that was not the reaction he had expected. Glancing around the room he noted that both Severus and Lucius looked highly displeased as well. "Draco..." Harry said, only to trail off, not sure how to address the matter that had caused the blow up. "Draco, don't you want children? I would have thought you would want an heir, being a Malfoy and everything," Harry said weakly.

The three Slytherins blinked, and then Draco broke into a big, bright smile. "Harry, you git, you scared me half to death!" he declared, pulling Harry into a tight hug.

Harry just shook his head, would he ever understand the Slytherin mindset? "Draco..."

"Harry, there is no need for you to worry about children," Lucius said, figuring that he better broach the subject before any further misunderstandings could drive the two lovebirds apart. "I know that you are both males, but you are also wizards. Same sex pairings is not unusual in our world, and since the continuity of the line is very important to us, especially to the older families, we've had potions to rectify the problem for thousands of years. When the time is right, one of you will drink the pregnancy potion of your choice down, and what do you know? A new generation is created," Lucius said, brining a touch of levity back to the atmosphere.

Harry snorted in amusement, he should have known. And to tell the truth, he was relieved to know that neither of them would have to turn to a surrogate mother to create their children. "I want Severus to brew the potion when the times come. I don't trust anyone else not to muck it up."

"As if I would allow anyone else but me to create such a delicate potion for the two of you," Severus said, sounding insulted, but secretly feeling pleased that Harry trusted him that much.

"No matter how pleased I am to hear that you want children, none of you will even _think_ of taking anything before you are properly bonded, am I understood?" Lucius asked sternly. No grandchildren of his would be created out of wedlock.

"We hear you, oh great one," Harry intoned, extracting himself enough from Draco's embrace so that he could give the older blond a mock bow.

"Imp!" Lucius said with a snort.

"And proud of it," Harry replied cheekily with a saucy wink.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or anyone else in the Potter universe.

* * *

"Harry James Potter, you better explain yourself this instant!" Hermione barked the moment she set eyes on her friend. She had not been pleased when Harry had insisted on brushing her off since his release from the hospital wing, acting as if she didn't matter, as if she hadn't been there for him every step of the way during his struggles to beat Voldemort. Who did he think he was?

"Do you always berate your friends the moment you set eyes on them?" Lucius asked mildly, although his face clearly showed his disapproval at the witch's lack of manners.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir, I didn't see you," Hermione murmured, blushing hotly at her faux pass.

"That much was obvious," Lucius stated haughtily, moving to sit down in the armchair he had been standing behind. If the girl couldn't be bothered to act according to decorum, then he wouldn't stand on ceremony with her either. Lucius had never been one to stand fools, and he was not about to start now.

Hermione's blush deepened as she registered the snub. However, she was not about to tear into the older Malfoy for acting condescending. She wasn't that foolhardy. Nor that brave. Struggling to overcome her temper, Hermione gritted her teeth and refocused on Harry who was sitting in a comfortable looking armchair, practically in the lap of Draco Malfoy. Hermione's temper took a turn for the worse, and she had to close her eyes and focus on her breathing to stop herself from hexing the prat for putting her through this nonsense.

"All right. I am calm. So would you please tell me why you are suddenly so cosy with the Malfoys? And why you are ignoring your friends who have been standing by your side since our first year?" Hermione asked as calmly as she was able.

Harry regarded his two friends through hooded eyes. "Why don't you have a seat? I have a feeling this will take a while. Sufficient to say, I have come to realise that the Slytherins aren't as bad as they have been painted."

That was too much for Ron, who shot out of the chair he had just sat down in. "How can you say that? The bloody cowards left us to fight the war while they sat in some safe place, not lifting a finger to help us!"

"And you know that because…?" Harry asked, giving the redhead a murderous look.

"They weren't here, were they?" Ron demanded. "They weren't on the battlefield, fighting for our side, so yeah, I'd say that makes them bloody cowards. They shouldn't have been allowed back here. They should have been shipped to… to Durmstrang or something."

"Or Azkaban, perhaps? That was what you were thinking, wasn't it, Ron?" Harry asked sweetly. Too sweetly. Both Ron and Hermione winced, knowing that the black haired teen was furious.

"So what if I was?" Ron said, thrusting his chin out belligerently. "People like the Malfoys only got off because they have enough money to buy their way out of Azkaban. I don't understand how you can stand to be near any of them, much less how you can bloody kiss them!" Ron said with a sneer.

"For your information, Ronald Weasley," Harry said, coming out of his chair with an angry growl. Advancing on his friend, he poked the redhead in the chest with a hard index finger, not letting up when Ron tried to back away from the flashing green eyes and the temper he had unwittingly unleashed.

"Poppy Pomfrey placed Lucius Malfoy under Imperio with the instruction to seek out Voldemort and join his ranks. Unfortunately, for Lucius, he was good at what he did, so he advanced to become one of Voldemort most trusted men. Once the war was over, and I had reduced the Dark Lord to a pitiful shade, the truth was discovered and the spell broken.

"Then why the hell did he go back to You Know Who?!" Ron shouted, smacking the irritating index finger aside.

"Because, you block head, Dumbledore talked to him and convinced him that Voldemort was going to come back!" Harry snapped, showing Ron hard in the shoulder. "So Lucius put his own life on hold, and spent the next sixteen years keeping in touch with the other Death Eaters, keeping track on what they knew, and what plots they were hatching to bring their bloody master back! Lucius became a spy for the Light, you idiot, and he was grooming his son to take his place if needed!"

"Harry, calm down, you're going to blow up Severus' furniture if you don't pull your magic back soon," Draco said soothingly, walking up to where Harry was standing, glaring hotly at his friend.

"A likely story," Ron said with a sneer, looking like he wanted to hex Draco, but not daring to considering his current company.

"Harry, how do you know this?" Hermione asked, her academic brain having kicked in gear and she had been analysing what Harry had said, comparing it with things she already knew. "When did you find out? And why didn't you tell us? And what does this have to do with the other Slytherins?" she added with a frown.

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, searching for patience. "All right, let's start this from the beginning. Ron, Hermione, why did you fight for the Light side in the war?" Harry asked, allowing Draco to pull him back down to sit into the chair they had occupied before their tempers had gotten out of control.

"What kind of stupid question is that?!" Ron cried in anger, looking like he wanted to launch into another rant.

"Just answer the bloody question!" Harry shouted, accidentally letting lose a surge of raw magic.

Draco reached out and grasped Harry chin; turning the boy towards him, he proceeded to snog him senseless, only letting up once he felt that Harry had been sufficiently distracted and the air was no longer crackling with magic.

"Shall we go back to the subject at hand? Without the melodramatics this time?" Severus asked with a sneer, causing Harry to duck his head and murmur an apology.

"I don't believe you have anything to apologise for, Harry. Your fellow Gryffindors on the other hand…" Severus allowed his voice to trail off while he sent his most potent Death Glare at the foolish children who couldn't seem to allow their friend to just be happy.

Hermione felt herself blush under the stern glare, but she defiantly put her chin in the air and turned her attention back to Harry. "I fought for the Light side because there was no way I was going to side with Lord Voldemort," Hermione stated primly. "He was killing off Muggleborns and half-bloods, and since I am a Muggleborn, there was no way I could ever join his side. It was only natural to fight on the same side as Professor Dumbledore."

Harry snorted, not impressed with the pat reply. "What about you, Ron? Why did you fight for the Light side? You are a Pureblood, so there were no fears of being executed on the spot for being of unpure blood."

Ron gave Harry an incredulous look. "Have you any idea what would happen to me if I had chosen the Dark side?! Mum would have skinned me alive, and the twins would have been only too happy to hex the life out of what was left of me. Besides, Dumbledore is the most brilliant wizard of out time, why shouldn't I side with him?"

"So, in other words, you, Hermione, sided with Albus Dumbledore because you are a Muggleborn, and you, Ron, fought at Dumbledore's side because you feared to go against your parents. What about the Creevey brothers? They were Muggleborn, and yet they joined and fought with Voldemort. And Ron, if that is your only reason for fighting for the Light, then you have no reason to feel so prideful. Because, with your reasoning you could just as easily have fought for the Dark, you were just lucky enough to be born into a family who had sided with Dumbledore," Harry said, ignoring the way Ron was spluttering in outrage.

"Admit the truth, you never thought much about why this war was fought, did you? We became friends in first year, and you've been on my side since, haven't you? Not that I am not grateful for your support, because I am. I would probably not have survived the first years here at Hogwarts if it wasn't for you. However, I decided to grow up. I decided to look beyond the surface, beyond what was obvious, and what I saw I did not like.

"Do you remember our first trip on the Hogwarts Express, Ron?" Harry asked, ignoring the huff of annoyance coming from the redhead. "Do you?" Harry persisted, determined to make his point. "You and I was sitting and talking when Draco came swaggering into the compartment, looking for Harry Potter, do you remember? Do you recall what happened next?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "No, I don't remember exactly what happened. Malfoy made an ass of himself, I'm sure. What is the _point_, Harry?"

"No, Ron, Draco didn't make an ass of himself. You did. You laughed at his name, remember? You sniggered your head off at Draco's name, and when Draco retaliated, you threw the word Death Eater into his face, and then the fight was a fact. I didn't know better, so I sided with you. When I sat alone at Privet Drive the summer after Sirius died, I started to wonder what would have happened if I had told you off for being an immature prat and had accepted Draco's hand in friendship instead. The Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin, you know, only I pleaded with it until it placed me in Gryffindor. Now, why would an eleven year old who had grown up in the Muggle world be so against being placed in Slytherin? I knew absolutely _nothing_ about the wizarding world, but I knew for a fact that everyone placed in Slytherin was evil. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"But Harry…" Hermione said, biting her lip as she tried to find the words she wished to say.

"It got me thinking," Harry said, shouldering on, acting as if Hermione hadn't spoken. "It got me wondering so much that I eventually wrote a letter. I didn't expect to receive a reply, but I did. Draco agreed to a truce, and we began to correspond back and forth, and when school began again we met and we hashed things out, face to face, and at the end our talks we decided to put our past behind us and become friends. Only, we couldn't just come out to the school and declare our truce openly, so-"

"Is _that_ why you were so adamant to open up the DA to the Slytherins?" Hermione exclaimed, looking pleased that she had finally solved a stubborn problem, and put out that Harry hadn't just come out and told her this sooner.

"Yes," Harry said simply. "I knew that if I could make Draco join, then others would follow him. And I also knew that with Draco working at my side, we would be able to keep away those we suspected only wanted to join to spy for their master. The others I welcomed with open arms, figuring that they deserved the chance to learn how to defend themselves as much as the rest of us."

"And you actually _believed_ him?" Ron asked incredulous. "Harry, they are snakes! You can't trust them!"

"Why not? I'm a snake charmer, aren't I? Does Parselmouth ring any bells? I have always been able to speak to snakes; it just took me a bit longer to realise that I was able to understand the human variety just fine as well," Harry said, sending the two adults an amused grin.

"This is different, Harry, and you know it. You might find snakes to be charming animals, but the rest of the wizarding world doesn't!" Ron pointed out in irritation. He did not like the way Harry was so cosy with Snape and the Malfoys.

"That is the world's problem, not mine!" Harry snapped, starting to get irritated with the redhead again. Ron just wouldn't _listen_. "Do you know what I did? I actually talked to the Slytherins, Ron. Oh, not all at once, it was gradual, starting with those Draco felt I was safe with. But the thing is I bloody listened, and I found out what it was they wanted. Do you know what I found? I found that practically none of the Slytherins here at Hogwarts wanted to join Voldemort. And just like _you_, Ron, they were afraid of what their families would do to them if they ever found out the truth.

"Only, unlike the rest of the world, I was not happy to just sit back and allow them to be forced into doing something they didn't want to. Perhaps it is because you have been coddled and spoilt by your parents all your life that you are incapable of truly sympathizing with the Slytherins. But I know what it feels like to be forced into an image you are not comfortable with," Harry said sombrely, snuggling deeper into Draco's side, accepting the comfort he was offering so freely.

"Harry…" Hermione began, only to trail off. She had no idea how to react to the things Harry was confessing. It upset her that he hadn't confided in her earlier. Harry always confided everything in her, seeking her opinions, and often her approval before doing something, especially when it was of this magnitude. "Harry, why didn't you come to us and talk? We could have helped you, supported you. We, Ron and I, we are on your side, I thought you knew that," she said gently, trying to guilt Harry into apologising for deceiving her and in an attempt to lure him back where he belonged, among the Gryffindors. She would find a way to break him away from Draco later.

"Are you? Are you really? I'm not so sure of that, Hermione. You see, that summer after fifth year, after…" Harry took a deep breath, Merlin, but it still hurt to think of Sirius and the needless way he died. At least he was no longer drowning in guilt. "After Sirius died, I did a lot of thinking. Locked up at the Dursleys the way I was, there wasn't much else to do. Things might have turned out differently if you had bothered to write to me, but you didn't," Harry said, giving his friends pointed looks. It was still a sore point with him that his friends had listened so blindly to Dumbledore and obeyed his orders not to contact him so that he could 'work through his grief in peace' to the letter, not stopping to think that he might have needed a friendly and understanding ear. No, Harry had been forced to look elsewhere to find that understanding, and had found it in the unlikely place of Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape, and later on with Lucius Malfoy.

"Harry, you know why we didn't write you," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. She couldn't understand why Harry insisted on bringing that fact up again and again. It was over and done with, so why was he still upset with them about it? "We apologised to you, and you can't deny that the Headmaster was correct, you returned from the Dursleys a changed person. You were much calmer, and you no longer allowed your emotions to rule you."

Draco could feel the feelings of irritation and frustration coming from his love, and he reached up to card his fingers through Harry's black hair. The other teen sighed happily, and turned his head into the caress.

"And do you know why I emerged a better person, Hermione? It was because I had spent my time at the Dursleys talking to Draco and Severus. They helped me realise that what happened wasn't my fault. They cared enough to listen to my ramblings, and they gave me honest answers to my questions.

"Did you know that I was extremely close to throwing in the towel and disappear into the Muggle world? Never to return?"

"What?!" Two shocked voices cried out. "But, but what about the war?" Hermione asked in alarm, momentarily forgetting that the war was already fought and won. "Harry, how could you! How could you even consider abandoning everyone like that?!"

Harry snorted. "I'm insulted that your first thought went to the war, and not to why I was feeling that way.

Hermione impatiently waved the comment aside. "I don't believe you, Harry!" If she hadn't been sitting down, she would have planted her fists on her hips, tapping her foot as she scolded him. It was a posture she had seen more than once on Mrs. Weasley, and Hermione had worked to copy it down, noting how well it worked when the older woman scolded her offspring.

"Ron and I worked our butts off that summer, researching spells and working out strategies that could help you fight Voldemort and the Death Eaters. And all that time you sat at the Dursleys, safe and sound, feeling sorry for yourself?! How could you! How could you do that to us? To the Order? To all the people counting on you?!" Hermione was almost screaming at the end, she was so upset and angry.

Harry just stared at her, open mouthed. He couldn't believe that Hermione had just shouted that tripe at him. Was that how she really saw him? As some bloody weapon? Harry had come to the painful realisation that that was how Dumbledore viewed him, but Hermione…?

Suddenly, a line from an old song popped into his mind. '_I talk to the trees, but they don't listen to me'_.

Sinking back into the welcoming warmth of Draco's embrace, Harry studied his friends with narrowed eyes. Both Ron and Hermione were acting like those bloody trees. They listened, but they didn't _listen_. Not to him. No, they listened to Dumbledore. They listened to the Order of Phoenix. But they didn't listen to him. On the contrary, they seemed to expect him to always fall in line, doing everything they demanded of him, but they couldn't be arsed to be there for him.

Why was he trying so hard again? Why was he bending over backwards for those two? Why was he trying so hard to keep them as friends?

The realisation when it hit was shocking. Because they had been his first friends ever. Because, somehow, he had convinced himself that as long as he was friends with Ron and Hermione, then everything was right in the world.

Slowly, Harry turned his head to regard the blond boy sitting next to him. Even slower, Harry turned to study the two men sitting at the table, glowering at the two Gryffindors. He could see what effort it took for both Lucius and Severus to keep their tongues, and not start lashing his friends within an inch of their lives.

No, not friends, Harry realised as he looked back at Ron and Hermione. Ron was shifting restlessly, clearly all too aware of the scrutiny he was under, and Hermione… Hermione was too busy glowering at him to notice anything else. It was becoming very clear to him that the girl was expecting him to apologise profusely for his unworthy thoughts from a summer when he had been positively miserable.

"You know, I have always considered you my best friends. I thought no one knew me as well as you did. And silly me, I thought you would always be on my side, no matter what. But you aren't.

"What?!" "How can you say that!" Two indignant cries rang out, but Harry ignored them, too intent on his own startling realisation.

"Oh, at the beginning you were probably my friends, but somehow, along the way, through the years, you stopped being my friends and you became Dumbledore's followers instead."

"You sound as if that is a bad thing," Hermione said accusingly. "Besides, we are all on Professor Dumbledore's side and-"

"But, Hermione, we aren't," Harry said simply, effectively shutting the girl up.

"Hah! I knew it! You are setting Harry up to become the next Dark Lord! Admit it!" Ron shouted, jumping out of his seat again, and pointing his wand threateningly at the two adult Slytherins.

Harry rolled his eyes and snapped, "Don't be ridiculous, Ron! What I was _trying_ to point out to you is that I am on the side of the Light. As are Draco, Lucius, and Severus. You on the other hand are firmly on the side of Albus Dumbledore."

"But, Harry, being on the side of Albus Dumbledore _is_ being on the Light side," Hermione said gently, giving him a worried look as if she was trying to evaluate his mental state.

Harry merely snorted. "No, it isn't. Dumbledore has been the leader of the Light for a lot of years. However, I am no longer standing by his side. Which should have been glaringly obvious if you had bothered to use your eyes," Harry added with a snap. "But I suppose I should be thankful that you felt so sure of me that you didn't bother to examine my actions closer, or Dumbledore would have been an even bigger problem than he was at the end of the war."

"Harry! How can you say that! How can you _not_ support him after everything he has done for you?" Hermione asked, aghast.

Harry sighed and squashed the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. He was beginning to understand why Severus did that so often. Dealing with Dunderheads truly was exasperating. "Ah, yes, Dumbledore has done sooo much for me, hasn't he? Let's see, he took me away from my godfather, placing me with my aunt, even though Lily had made it very clear that I was to be placed anywhere but with them if anything ever happened to her, James, and Sirius. Hell, Dumbledore didn't even have the guts to face the Muggles and bloody ask them if they whished to raise me. No, he just placed me on their doorstep with only a letter to explain the situation!

"What else did he do? He failed to make sure that Sirius was given a trial, helping to convict an innocent man to hell on earth. He failed to check up on me to see if I was treated fairly, allowing me to grow up in an abusive environment. I don't know what kind of blinders the Order of Phoenix are using, but you at least should know that it is _not_ a common practice in the Muggle world to keep children in a cupboard," Harry said, giving Hermione a hard stare, feeling a small surge of satisfaction as she turned her head away, unable to meet Harry's gaze.

"Then there is the matter of all our 'adventures', and take note of the sarcasm when I use the word adventures, Hermione. I can't believe that Severus is the only one who actually told Dumbledore off for the callous way he was using us." Harry gave Severus an amused look. "I admit that I didn't exactly appreciate the way he did it at the time, and it is true that it didn't do much good, but at least he tried."

"Harry, Headmaster Dumbledore had nothing to do with our adventures. It was all our doing, remember? It was we who decided to stick our noses where they didn't belong," Hermione said, chuckling ruefully. "I'm still surprised that we didn't get expelled, considering the things we got mixed up in."

Harry just stared at her. "Are you really that daft? How can you sit there and say that Dumbledore didn't have anything to do with our adventures, Hermione?"

"It is _Professor_ Dumbledore, Harry. You really shouldn't speak so disrespectfully about the Headmaster, especially since you claim not to be on his side," Hermione replied primly. "And of course he didn't have anything to do with the things we did."

Harry glanced helplessly at Severus, how could someone so smart be so… stupid?

Severus gave him a sardonic look, and suddenly Harry realised that the Potions master had known this all along. He had known that while Hermione was intelligent, and extremely book smart, she was also just a child, easily blinded by those she held in high esteem. And it was no secret that Hermione looked up to Albus Dumbledore.

"Do I tell her? Or rather, should I bother to remind her?" Harry asked, still looking at Severus.

"Tell me what? What proof do you believe you have that Dumbledore had anything to do with our adventures?" Hermione demanded, starting to look cross.

"Tell her, love. I don't think it will do much good, but at least you tried to open her eyes," Draco said with a soft drawl.

Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but Harry held up his hand, not wanting to hear what she had to say. And he was not about to allow this to escalate into a fight between Draco and Hermione. Giving the girl a measuring look, Harry nodded his head once in decision. This was the last time he was putting up an effort for those two, and he was going to make damned sure that he left them with a lot of fodder for thought. Not that he believed for a moment that they would ever actually stop and think about what he'd say, he expected that they'd be to busy fuming over his disrespect. But Harry found that he no longer cared what they thought of him.

"Hmm, let me see, let me tell you the way that Dumbledore didn't encourage me to stick my nose where it didn't belong," Harry said in a musingly manner, fighting hard to keep his temper in check. "For one thing, he shouldn't have asked Hagrid to pick up the Philosopher's stone while he was helping me shop for my school things, now should he? Considering the way Hagrid was acting, it was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. And that announcement Dumbledore made at the Welcoming Feast? He couldn't have made it more dramatic?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes in contempt. "And you don't find it the least bit suspicious that when Hagrid invites me down for tea he has a copy of the article about the break in at Gringotts lying about, waiting for us to discover it?

"And how come Snape was the only one who was suspicious of Quirrell's actions that year? I mean, a Troll just happens to wander into Hogwarts? And who among the staff had an affinity for dealings with Trolls? And then there is the jinxed broom, if Severus realised what was happening, why didn't Dumbledore? And why was it that only Severus was muttering the counter spell? If Dumbledore had bothered to help him then I'm sure the two of them would have overpowered whatever curse Quirrell used." Harry paused to take a few, deep breaths. He hadn't realised that he was still that furious with Dumbledore for placing three school children in such danger.

As if sensing his distress, Draco wrapped himself more firmly around Harry, and began to gently massage his scalp. Harry sighed in pleasure as he felt most of his tension dispel.

"Let us not forget who it was that gave me my father's invisibility cloak for Christmas. And who was it that explained to me how the mirror of Erised works? Not to mention, who was it that left for London, on a broom I might add, just as the school year was ending? Are you still going to claim that Dumbledore didn't have anything to do with us getting involved in that mess? And here is a clincher for you, Hermione. After all was said and done, what did they do with the blasted stone? They _destroyed_ it, Hermione. If it was that dangerous, then why in Merlin's name didn't they just destroy it the moment they realised that Voldemort was going to try and steal it?

"And what about our second year? That diary had to reek with Dark Magic, so why didn't the wards alert the Headmaster? According to that book you love so much, Hermione, the Founders placed wards around the school to ensure that no one could use Dark Magic inside the castle. They did it to ensure the safety of the children. Why do you think Salazar built his secret chamber? It was so that he could conduct his research in finding antidotes to Dark curses without setting off the bloody alarms!

"For that matter, how come Dumbledore couldn't figure out what kind of animal the monster was? You did the research yourself, Hermione. There aren't that many creatures that petrify their victims. You managed to figure out that it had to be a Basilisk that was running loose in the school, then how come he didn't? Maybe because it wasn't convenient for him to know? And when things look really bleak, what does he do? He allows himself to be run out of the school. Yeah, I talked to Lucius about the things that happened that year, and Dumbledore could have fought the Board. He didn't. He just left, _ensuring_ that Ron and I were the only ones left to battle the monster. Pretty convenient, wouldn't you say? We did the battle, and all Dumbledore had to do was swoop in when everything was done and claim part of the glory for himself.

"Then there is our third year. You were running around with a Time-Turner, risking your own existence daily. Not something someone concerned for his students' welfare should allow, don't you agree? And he should never have allowed those blasted Dementors anywhere near the school, especially after they broke free and almost kissed me during that Quidditch game. And how come it was you and me, Hermione, who had to go back in time to rescue both Sirius and Buckbeak? Why was that task left to two children? Wouldn't it have been more logical for Dumbledore to do that himself? After all, he was one hundred and fifty years old, with more tricks up his sleeve than most. We were thirteen, Hermione. _Thirteen_.

"And once he found out the truth, then why didn't Dumbledore press to have Sirius declared innocent? I looked it up; all he had to do was call a gathering of the Wizengamot and demand that Sirius be questioned under Veritaserum. Why didn't he do that? Fudge wouldn't have been able to interfere, especially since Dumbledore is the Chief Warlock, not to mention Supreme Mugwump. He had the power to do something, and yet he never utilised it. Ever wonder why he didn't? I have. Often," Harry said somewhat grimly.

"Then we have our fourth year. The Triwizard Tournament. Need I say more?" Harry asked sardonically.

"But Harry, the contract was binding, he tried, but he couldn't release you from that," Hermione said, eagerly jumping into Dumbledore's defence.

"No? Dumbledore told me after I came back from the Graveyard that it took a lot of Dark Magic to confuse the Goblet. For the Goblet of Fire to spit out my name, it had to believe that a fourth school was part of the Tournament. All Dumbledore had to do was declare that there was no fourth school, and I would have been freed. The others school leaders should have remembered that as well, but I suppose they were thrown when Dumbledore declared me the _second_ champion of Hogwarts that they didn't stop to think.

"And another thing, everyone says that Mad-Eye Moody and Dumbledore are the best of friends, and yet Dumbledore spent almost an entire year in the man's presence and didn't suspect he was an impostor? We all know that Dumbledore amuses himself with casting Legilimens on those around him, so how come he didn't suspect Moody?

"Do I really need to keep going? Albus Dumbledore has put my life in danger time and again. And not only mine, but yours as well. And each and every time we needed his help the most, what do you know, he is nowhere to be found. He was gone at the end of second year. He was gone at the end of fifth year, and where the hell was he during the final battle? No, Hermione, I am most definitely not on Albus Dumbledore's side. He claims to care for his people, but I for one can do without that kind of care.

"You know what? I was going to explain to you about the Slytherins and about Draco, but I find that I no longer want to. There will be a press conference tomorrow; I suggest you attend it if you want to get our answers. I have nothing more to say to you," Harry said quietly, turning around so he could bury his face in Draco's neck.

"Harry James Potter! How can you do this to us? How can you treat us so callously?! You just dump a lot of accusations at us, and then you just order us to leave? No, not this time! I demand that you take back what you said about Professor Dumbledore! He _does_ care. He does! He just has to look at the big picture. So maybe you didn't grow up in the best of families, but he explained that to you. You needed the protection from the blood wards! How else was he supposed to keep you safe from the Death Eaters?" Hermione cried in outrage, jumping to her feet, unable to remain seated when facing such outrage.

"Miss Granger, if you had bothered to study blood wards you would have realised that they need love to flourish. Since Harry's relatives hated him, whatever protection there was, it disappeared long before he became of age to attend Hogwarts. As for the Death Eaters… those truly fanatic and blindly loyal to the Dark Lord was locked up in Azkaban. Those who managed to escape that fate were the ones forced into his service, and they had better things to do than to look for Potter to extract revenge," Lucius said quietly.

"And what do you know about that?" Hermione demanded to know, giving the older Malfoy a suspicious look.

"What did Harry tell you not long ago? I acted as Dumbledore's ear. I knew just about every Death Eater. I kept a close eye on what they were doing, and none of them expressed any ill wishes towards Harry. There was no need for him to grow up with the Dursleys. He could have had a happy childhood, growing up among wizards as was his right. I suggest you leave now, since you have clearly shown that you have no true wish to listen to what Harry says. You only wish to berate him and form him into what you think he should be. Those days are over. The war has ended and Harry is free to be whoever he wants to be."

Hermione glanced at Ron, this was not going the way she had thought it would. Harry wasn't the needy boy she remembered. Somewhere along the way he had changed, and while she might be prepared to argue with him until he saw the errors of his thinking, she was not prepared to stand up to three powerful Slytherins. Not with only Ron guarding her back.

Straightening her shoulders, Hermione walked towards the door. Harry might have become a Slytherin, casting aside the values of a true Gryffindor, but she refused to allow him to cause her to doubt. She knew what kind of man Albus Dumbledore was, and she would follow him to the day she died.

HPDM

"That was not exactly how I had envisioned how this would go," Harry said ruefully once the door had fallen shut behind his former friends.

"I can imagine. What caused you to change your mind? I figured you would argue with them until they either changed their minds, or stormed out of here in a huff," Severus said, giving the black haired teen an unreadable look.

"I probably would have," Harry admitted tiredly. "But they suddenly reminded me of an old song, and I just realised that I could argue until I was blue in the face, and nothing would change. I was talking, but they weren't listening. And until they are ready to listen…

"I also realised that friends, true friends, give as well as take. I have never had that type of friendship with them. I was the one always giving, and they always took. I don't… I can't put up with that anymore. I won't put up with that anymore. Besides, I have you now, and the other Slytherins. I don't need Ron and Hermione, I have other and better friends now. Friends who are actually prepared to listen to me, before telling me how wrong I am."

Draco chuckled, vividly remembering the fight Harry had had with Blaise at the beginning of the previous year, when the two of them had been arguing about an assignment in Transfigurations of all things. Harry had patiently explained the thing to Blaise, who had listened before picking the theory to pieces before informing Potter of how things truly were. The argument had turned really heated, and at times Draco had feared the two would come to blows. But somehow during that fight, Harry and Blaise had become friends, and it had become a common sight to see the two of them sit together in McGonagall's class, arguing about the correct way to Transfigure things, driving their professor to distraction more than once.

"I'll be sure to tell Blaise you said that," Draco said with amusement, pulling his boyfriend even closer. Harry playfully punched his boyfriend in the shoulder, but he was too comfortable to put much effort into it. Instead, he snuggled deeper into Draco's embrace and drifted to sleep listening to the three most important people in his life talk about nothing at all.


End file.
